2025 Northeastern Universities Development Consortium (NEUDC) Conference

Tufts University’s Department of Economics hosted the 2025 Northeastern Universities Development Consortium (NEUDC) Conference on November 8–9 at the Joyce Cummings Center on the Medford campus. Founded in 1967, NEUDC is the longest running gathering in development economics, convening researchers to present cutting edge work and discuss solutions to development challenges. This year’s conference, curated by conference chairs, Professor Kyle Emerick and Neary Family Professor of International Relations Margaret McMillan, featured 157 research papers out of 728 submissions, across 36 parallel sessions and welcomed nearly 300 participants from across the globe. The Saturday plenary, moderated by Professor McMillan, brought together leading scholars alongside economists from the Gates Foundation and the World Bank for a forward looking conversation on the future of development economics. 

The Sunday plenary was chaired by Jason P. and Chloe Epstein Professor Doug Gollin. It featured a panel discussion on the potential for collaboration between researchers and development organizations. The conference also showcased Tufts expertise, with contributors from the Department of Economics, the Fletcher School, the Friedman School of Nutrition, and the Department of Community Health. Nearly 30 students from the Neubauer Family PhD Program in Economics and Public Policy and the MS in Economics programs attended, gaining first‑hand exposure to the breadth of research in the field.