The major field trip of the 2024–2025 academic year was a five-day visit to Washington, D.C., held from March 16–21, 2025. The itinerary included two site visits on Monday, one on Tuesday, and one on Wednesday, with Thursday designated as a free day for students to explore the city.
On Monday morning, our first visit was to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Brad Setser, a senior fellow at CFR, spoke about current trends in international trade and engaged with students during a Q&A session.
In the afternoon, we visited the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Matthew T. Panhans introduced the agency’s work, followed by presentations from Devesh R. Raval, Deputy Director, and Keith J. Brand, Deputy Assistant Director. Dr. Raval presented on “Consumer Voice at the FTC,” while Dr. Brand discussed the effects of mergers on pricing.
On Tuesday morning, we attended a presentation at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Gabriel Hegab, an alumnus of our MSPE program currently working in the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department, gave an insightful talk on the history and core functions of the organization.
Our final visit took place on Wednesday at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Louis Simone provided an overview of the IDB’s mission and scope of activities. Luben Petkoff, a creative strategist at IDB Lab, discussed the bank’s role in fostering productivity-enhancing investments across South America. The visit concluded with a presentation from IDB Invest, focusing on the bank’s investment management and portfolio strategies.