 Purposes & Activities
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Events
Lectures
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Events
2026
Sunday
June 28, 2026
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Public policy has long favored transparent and accountable forms of money, yet the rapid growth of stablecoins—particularly those held and transacted through self-custody wallets—raises new challenges for regulators seeking to curb illicit activity, safeguard monetary sovereignty, and maintain financial integrity. As digital forms of money become increasingly global, strengthening international cooperation and regulatory frameworks will be essential to ensuring transparency and trust in the financial system. Hosted by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), this year's Per Jacobsson Foundation Lecture was given by Gita Gopinath , Gregory and Ania Coffey Professor of Economics at Harvard University and Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, on "Stablecoins and Anonymous Money," on June 28, 2026, in Basel, Switzerland.
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Sunday
January 10, 2026
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As part of the CDE/Per Jacobsson Foundation Lecture Series, Mr. Felix Nkulukusa, Secretary to the Treasury of the Government of Zambia, visited the Center for Development Economics. He has served in this role since 2021, with responsibility for fiscal policy, public financial management, and macroeconomic coordination.
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2025
Wednesday
October 15, 2025
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As economic nationalism rises, the path to shared prosperity lies not in retreat but in renewal—modernizing global institutions, forging open coalitions for trade, technology, and digital governance, and unlocking greater development finance for emerging regions. Sustaining an open world economy will depend on cooperation among major powers and coherent domestic strategies that ensure all citizens share in global progress. This year's Per Jacobsson Lecture will be given by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore on "An Era of Possibility: Renewing Economic Order and Shared Purpose", followed by a panel discussion moderated by Raghuram Rajan, with distinguished panelists Moritz Schularick and Lael Brainard, October 15, 2025.
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Saturday
September 13, 2025
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Alex Contreras Miranda (CDE ’13, Peru), Alternate Executive Director at the IDB and former Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru, visited CDE/Williams College as part of the CDE/Per Jacobsson Foundation Speaker Series. On September 13 he gave a retrospective talk discussing details of his long and varied career. The following day, September 14, he joined Professor Peter Montiel for a conversation on Peru’s economic outlook and lessons from his career in government and multilateral institutions.
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Saturday
May 31, 2025
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Ms. Aban Haq, Head of the Project Management Office and Member Engagement at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), visited CDE/Williams College for a special two-day event as part of the CDE/Per Jacobsson Foundation Speaker Series.
On Saturday, May 31, 2025 Ms. Haq delivered a public talk titled “A Public Purpose Across Institutions,” in which she reflected on the pivotal choices, risks, and lessons that have shaped her career in international development.
On Sunday, June 1, 2025 she joined Professor Jerry Caprio for a conversation on the future of financial inclusion policy, with a focus on emerging trends in digital finance, regulatory innovation, and the role of inclusive financial systems in building climate resilience.
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Saturday
January 11, 2025
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As part of the CDE/Per Jacobsson Foundation Speaker Series, Mr. Abdoulaye Magassouba, former Minister of Mines and Geology of the Republic of Guinea, visited Williams College in January 2025. On January 11, he delivered a public lecture titled “Getting Results Amid Conflicting Expectations”, sharing insights from his experiences navigating governance challenges in the Presidency and the Ministry of Mines and Geology. On January 12, Mr. Magassouba participated in an interview with Professor Bernard Sheahan, discussing governance, transparency, and resource management in developing countries.
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2024
Saturday
October 26, 2024
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"Delivering on New Global Challenges – Re-Imagining the Multilateral Trading System". Join us for the 2024 Per Jacobsson Lecture, featuring a keynote address by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, on the critical theme of “Delivering on New Global Challenges: How Can We Re-Imagine the Multilateral Trading System?” The lecture will include a panel discussion moderated by Raghuram Rajan, with distinguished panelists Maurice Obstfeld and Minouche Shafik. The event will be livestreamed and recorded for global viewing on October 26, 2024 at 11:30 AM ET.
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Saturday
August 24, 2024
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On Saturday, August 24, 2024, Ms. Prodani delivered a lecture about her career in various departments in Albanian government. On Sunday, August 25, 2024 Dr. Ken Kuttner (Williams College) interviewed Ms. Prodani about challenges facing Albania amid global changes.
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Sunday
June 30, 2024
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"The rise and fall of inflation: new lessons for monetary policy?". The lecture will be delivered by Ignazio Visco, Former Governor of the Bank of Italy, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Raghuram Rajan, Chairman of the Per Jacobsson Foundation, with Roberto Campos Neto (Central Bank of Brazil), François Villeroy de Galhau (Bank of France), Andréa M Maechler (BIS) and John C Williams (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). June 30, 2023.
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Saturday
May 25, 2024
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"CDE/Per Jacobsson Speaker Series: Ambassador Elsie Kanza (CDE 2000)". On May 25, Ambassador Kanza will give a talk to CDE fellows and faculty about her career in public service. On May 26, she will be interviewed by Professor Anand Swamy about future challenges for policymakers in Africa. Her visit will be the second of the CDE/Per Jacobsson Foundation Speaker Series for the 2023-24 academic year.
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2023
2022
2021
Saturday
October 16, 2021
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This year's Per Jacobsson Lecture was given by Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank on "Globalisation after the pandemic", followed by a discussion with Guillermo Ortiz. Virtual event, October 16, 2021.
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2020
2019
2018
Saturday
October 13, 2018
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"Is There a New Orthodoxy for Monetary Policy?" Per Jacobsson panel —moderated by Ravi Menon, Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore with Veerathai Santiprabhob, Governor of the Central Bank of Thailand, Perry Warjiyo, Governor, Bank Indonesia and Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Bali, Indonesia October 13, 2018.
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Sunday
June 24, 2018
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Per Jacobsson Lecture: Ben Bernanke, former Chair of the Federal Reserve, US Board of Governors on the occasion of BIS Annual General Meeting, Basel, June 24, 2018
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2017
Saturday
October 14, 2017
(4-5 p.m.)
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Per Jacobsson Panel Discussion: Economic and Financial Issues Related to Climate Change with Guillermo Ortiz, Chairman of Per Jacobsson Foundation, Mark Carney, Chair of Financial Stability Board, Maureen Cropper of Maryland University, Ashley Schulten of BlackRock, and Nicholas Stern of London School of Economics, moderated by Palita Clark of Financial Times, on occasion of the 2017 IMF Annual Meetings, Washington, D.C., October 14, 2017.
Venue: IMF HQ1, Atrium, Washington, DC
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2016
Sunday
October 8, 2016
(5-6 p.m.)
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Per Jacobsson Lecture: Timothy F. Geithner, President, Warburg Pincus, and former Secretary of the US Treasury and President of the New York Federal Reserve on the occasion of the 2016 IMF Annual Meetings, Washington, DC
Venue: IMF HQ1, Atrium, Washington, DC
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