WASHINGTON, D.C., January 16, 2026 — Six emerging transportation professionals from the 2026 IRF Fellowship Program came together in Washington, D.C., for the IRF Road Scholar Program, gaining direct exposure to transportation practice, road safety testing, and the work of the International Road Federation (IRF Global).

The program combined technical visits with discussions at IRF Global Headquarters, giving the Fellows the opportunity to engage with practitioners and examine how transportation knowledge is applied in the field.

A CLOSE LOOK AT IRF GLOBAL

The program began at IRF Global Headquarters, where IRF Global Chief Operating Officer Magid Elabyad welcomed the Fellows at the IRF Training Institute.

Elabyad briefed the group on IRF Global’s international activities, priorities and training programs, including its work to strengthen professional capacity across the road and transport sector. The session also featured presentations and an open discussion, allowing the Fellows to introduce their own work and exchange views on the issues shaping transportation today.

For the Fellows, the visit provided an opportunity to see the organization’s work from the inside and to engage directly with the team responsible for delivering IRF Global’s programs around the world.

FIELD TRIP TO THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA

The Road Scholar Program continued beyond the headquarters with visits that brought the Fellows closer to the practical side of transportation.

At the City of Alexandria, Virginia’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, Christopher Ziemann, AICP led the Fellows through a technical field experience focused on transportation planning and services.

The on-site visit gave the group a first-hand look at how transportation systems are managed at the local level and how planning decisions translate into day-to-day operations.

The Fellows also visited Dongre Laboratory Services Inc., where they examined the testing and analysis used to evaluate road safety devices and infrastructure performance.

The visit focused on laboratory testing methodologies, safety standards and data-driven assessment. It demonstrated the role of testing in validating infrastructure performance and supporting decisions aimed at improving road safety.

ENGINEERING, TEAMWORK AND A LITTLE COMPETITION

Technical learning was complemented by a more hands-on element of the Fellowship experience.

At the 2025 IRF Fellows Reception, Fellows took part in the IRF Bridge Building Competition, putting their engineering skills to work in a timed, collaborative challenge. Teams had to develop and refine their designs while working under pressure, turning a technical exercise into an opportunity to demonstrate creativity, communication and teamwork.

The competition has become one of the more distinctive elements of the Fellows’ activities, bringing an informal dimension to a program otherwise centered on technical and professional development.

A FELLOWSHIP COMMUNITY BUILT OVER DECADES

The 2026 class joins a Fellowship community with a history stretching back nearly eight decades.

That history was celebrated at the IRF Fellows Reunion & Reception on January 13, 2026, in Washington, D.C., marking 77 years of IRF Fellowship Awards. Current and former Fellows gathered for an evening of reconnection and exchange, bringing together different generations of professionals who have passed through the program.

The reunion offered a reminder of the continuity of the Fellowship Program and the relationships it has built across the transportation profession.

A NEW CLASS JOINS THE IRF GLOBAL NETWORK

The 2026 Road Scholar Program concluded with the presentation of certificates to the six Fellows at IRF Global Headquarters. IRF Global COO Magid Elabyad presented the certificates, formally completing the Washington program.

The Fellows leave the program with experience extending beyond their individual fields of study: direct exposure to transportation practice, a closer understanding of road safety testing and infrastructure evaluation, and engagement with an international organization working across the sector.

They now join the broader IRF Global Fellowship network as the latest class in a program that has supported transportation professionals for 78 years.