Every September, rising seniors in the Fisher Family Honors Program travel to the nation’s capital for CDDRL’s Honors College. This immersive, week-long program gives students an inside look at the institutions and experts in Washington, D.C. who are shaping global debates and working to advance democracy and development around the world.

Throughout the week, students will examine pressing global issues with experts at the Council on Foreign Relations’ Center on Preventive Action and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, gain insights into international development from scholars at the World Bank, and dive into the challenges and advantages of empowering local democratic activists — particularly in countries hostile to democracy — with speakers at the National Endowment for Democracy, among other exciting site visits. They are also encouraged to use this time to connect with experts related to their thesis question.

CDDRL’s Fisher Family Honors Program brings together undergraduates from diverse fields and methodologies who share a passion for understanding democracy, development, and the rule of law. The program challenges students to carry out original, policy-relevant research on these topics and produce a coherent, eloquently argued, and well-written honors thesis.

This year's Honors College begins on Sunday, September 14. It will be led by Stephen Stedman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Fisher Family Honors Program, and research scholar María Ignacia Curiel, alongside Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy Larry Diamond.