Call for applications!

The application for IEDP Colombia 2012 is now available! Download it here.
 **Applicants must submit four copies to Student Services in Weill 2245 by noon on October 14, 2011. **

Twenty-five U-M graduate students will be selected to go on the trip -- 20 of which will be from the Ford School. Applications will be anonymously reviewed by a committee of faculty and students. Reviewers will choose participants based on their demonstrated interest in Colombia and/or social and economic development. Reviewers will also consider what candidates might contribute to the class, as well as what they hope to learn from the experience

Among Ford applicants, there will be no quota regarding the number of first- and second-year students selected. Class year will be taken into account only when applicants possess comparable qualifications. In those cases, preference will be given to second-year students.

Preference is also given to those who have never been on a Ford School international trip (i.e. past IEDP or China trip). Those who apply to both programs this year are asked to indicate their preference, which will be taken into account if both the IEDP and China trip committees have a similar level of interest in a candidate.

Introducing IEDP Colombia

This year's IEDP will focus on Colombia, an emerging economy whose GDP is projected to grow by 2-5 percent over the next five years (IMF). Despite this progress, Colombia still struggles with serious social and political problems: people displaced by ongoing violent conflict, poverty and a thriving drug trade, to name a few.

Students will examine and analyze Colombian domestic and foreign policy through the lens of economic development. Issues to be addressed (chosen by the students in the class) will likely include some of the following: public sector reform, private industry development, drug control, labor rights, education, environmental protection and health. The class will be divided into teams, with each team studying and producing a comprehensive final report on one of the topics.

The IEDP trip to Colombia will take place between February 25 and March 4, 2012. During that week, students will meet with various stakeholders related to their topics and collect information to include in their reports. The trip's itinerary will be planned by the class, with teams taking on such responsibilities as: fundraising, arranging travel logistics and scheduling meetings.