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On October 8, 2025, the Center hosted a seminar to brief Professor McLauchlan on the progress of ongoing research and to discuss avenues for expanding the Center\u2019s research partnerships, publications, and international collaborations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building Bridges for Research Collaboration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Sylvester Kaweesi<\/strong>, the Principal Investigator of the Great Lakes Center, said the workshop aimed to introduce Professor McLauchlan to the research direction of the Center and explore areas where her expertise could advance the ongoing studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe purpose of this workshop was to bring Judithanne on board regarding the research agenda of the Center and to identify areas where her intervention can help expand our scope,\u201d Dr. Kaweesi explained. \u201cShe\u2019s here to connect us to universities in the United States and to help build firm collaborations for joint research grants, staff and student exchanges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He noted that the researchers were midway through their data collection and had begun drafting chapters for a forthcoming book on relationality<\/strong>, expected to be published by August 2026<\/strong>. \u201cWe expect draft chapters by mid-October, and Judithanne will help review them and link our researchers with American scholars working on related topics,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Promising and Engaging Research Agenda<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reacting to the presentations, Professor McLauchlan expressed enthusiasm about the depth and variety of work being conducted under the Center\u2019s Relationality Studies initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m delighted to be at Makerere University\u2019s Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States. The research agenda is both engaging and promising,\u201d she said. \u201cThe breadth of topics\u2014from countering violent extremism and constitutionalism to programs like the Peace Corps and Fulbright\u2014shows the richness of U.S.\u2013Uganda relations. I look forward to working closely with these scholars and seeing their work published.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She commended the researchers for their impressive progress in a short time and reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening academic cooperation throughout her stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Charlotte Mafumbo: Examining Counter-Terrorism Cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Researcher Dr. Charlotte Mafumbo presented findings on counter-terrorism cooperation between Uganda and the United States<\/strong>, exploring both hard and soft power approaches to fighting extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her study traces the evolution of this partnership from the 1990s through the global \u201cWar on Terror\u201d after 9\/11, to contemporary initiatives emphasizing community engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeyond military cooperation, we are now examining the soft power approaches that emphasize education, youth skilling, interfaith dialogue, and cultural exchanges,\u201d Dr. Mafumbo said. \u201cThese programs\u2014supported by U.S. institutions\u2014help deter radicalization through community-led interventions, critical thinking curricula in Madrasas, and civic education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She highlighted U.S.-funded grassroots programs in regions like Kasese and Busoga, which use dialogue and youth empowerment to counter extremist narratives. \u201cSuch initiatives address the root causes of radicalization\u2014poverty, unemployment, and misinformation\u2014by giving youth the tools to build meaningful lives,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Benard Luwerekera: Tracing the Peace Corps\u2019 Legacy in Uganda<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Benard Luwerekera shared his ongoing study on the Peace Corps\u2019 role in fostering people-to-people diplomacy and cultural exchange between Uganda and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Peace Corps represents one of the most enduring examples of America\u2019s soft power\u2014building relationships through friendship and service,\u201d he said. \u201cVolunteers have worked in education, health, agriculture, and community development, even in hard-to-reach areas during fragile political times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Luwerekera\u2019s work measures both the quantitative impact\u2014such as numbers of volunteers and beneficiaries\u2014and the qualitative impact captured through memoirs and oral histories. \u201cMany Ugandan leaders today trace part of their formative experiences to interactions with Peace Corps volunteers,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He revealed plans to explore the emerging idea of a \u201cReverse Peace Corps\u201d, where international volunteers could serve in U.S. communities\u2014a concept that reflects the reciprocity embedded in relationality studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Itah Patience: Fulbright Scholars and Educational Relationality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Researcher Itah Patience presented on Fulbright scholarships as a channel for educational and cultural relationality between Uganda and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her study explores how Ugandan Fulbright scholars influence academic culture and build enduring institutional and personal connections after returning home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRelationality in the Fulbright experience operates at multiple levels\u2014individual, institutional, and governmental,\u201d she explained. \u201cThrough teaching, collaboration, and shared research, these scholars extend the impact of the Fulbright beyond the classroom to national development and cross-cultural understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patience emphasized the importance of academic partnerships as a criterion for Fulbright success. \u201cOne applicant told me she failed her first interview because she lacked a U.S. contact, but succeeded later after building professional relationships,\u201d she said. \u201cThat shows how relationality is not just a concept but a lived process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. George Okiror: U.S.\u2013Uganda Relations Through Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. George Okiror\u2019s paper delves into constitutionalism and the rule of law as a foundation for Uganda\u2013U.S. relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adopting a historical approach, he traces parallels from the Magna Carta (1215) to Uganda\u2019s 1962 independence, examining how liberal democratic values have shaped the relationship between the two nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUganda\u2013U.S. relations have always been both issue-driven and personality-driven,\u201d Dr. Okiror observed. \u201cFrom the Cold War era through contemporary debates on democracy, human rights, and governance, each Ugandan and American leader has influenced the tone and trajectory of this relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He highlighted issues such as Cold War politics, independence movements, democracy promotion, and human rights as pivotal areas of U.S.\u2013Uganda engagement. \u201cI hope to access U.S. congressional archives to deepen this analysis and better understand the dynamics of governance and constitutionalism between our two countries,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The seminar marked the beginning of a month of active collaboration between Makerere researchers and Professor McLauchlan. The partnership is expected to open new avenues for joint research, publications, and academic exchanges that will enhance the study of U.S.\u2013Uganda relations under the relationality framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Makerere Great Lakes Centre for the Study of the United States<\/strong> was officially launched on March 25, 2025<\/strong>, with support from a startup grant from the United States Mission in Uganda<\/strong>. The Centre seeks to promote scholarship on U.S. foreign policy, cultural influence, and international relations, while fostering academic exchange and collaboration between Ugandan and American institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Housed within the Department of Political Science and Public Administration<\/strong>, School of Social Sciences<\/strong>, College of Humanities and Social Sciences<\/strong>, the Centre is led by Prof. Paul Omach<\/strong> as Director, assisted by Prof. Apuuli Kasaija<\/strong>, with Dr. Sylvestre Kaweesi<\/strong> serving as the Principal Investigator (PI) in charge of research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Centre\u2019s research program revolves around the concept of \u201cCivilizational Relationality.\u201d<\/strong> Under this program, six selected researchers are exploring various themes that interrogate how relations between Uganda and the United States have shaped different domains of Uganda\u2019s national life since 1945.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Nicholas Sempijja<\/strong> is studying how American jazz has influenced Ugandan popular music. Other ongoing research includes counter-terrorism cooperation<\/strong> (by Dr. Mafumbo Charlotte<\/strong> and Dr. Kibirige Nakaiza<\/strong>), the Peace Corps\u2019 role in local development<\/strong> (by Dr. Bernard Luwererkera<\/strong>), democracy promotion<\/strong> (by Mr. Bwire Lumumba<\/strong>), and constitutionalism and the rule of law<\/strong> (by Dr. George Okiror<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/chuss.mak.ac.ug\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dr.-Syliverstre-Kaweesi-and-prof.-Judithann-during-the-seminar-1024x613.jpg\")
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About the Great Lakes Centre for the Study of the United States<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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