The Director of Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) is delighted to announce that MISR Postdoctoral Fellow, Olive Lomokol, has received an Honorable Mention for the prestigious Lynne Rienner Award for Best Dissertation in African Politics, 2026.  

Awarded by the African Politics Conference Group (APCG) at the American Political Science Association (APSA), the Lynne Rienner Award is one of the leading international prizes that recognizes outstanding scholarship in African politics. The award carries a prize and honors work that makes a significant contribution to the field. Olive was recognized for her dissertation titled, “Shifting Perspectives on ‘Pastoral’ Violence: The Persistence of the ‘Karamoja Problem’ in Uganda” completed at the Makerere Institute of Social Research, Makerere University, 2026. 

Her study offers a critical re-examination of the long-standing construction of the ‘Karamoja Problem’ in Uganda, interrogating how narratives of ‘pastoral’ violence have been produced, sustained, and deployed within colonial and post-colonial statecraft. By shifting perspective from a predominantly security lens to a historical and political one, the dissertation contributes to broader scholarly debates on the state, violence, and marginality in contemporary Africa. 

Congratulations to Dr. Lomokol on this remarkable academic achievement and recognition.

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Makerere University, through the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States under the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), hosted a public lecture in the Main Hall to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America’s independence.

Nation building is a cumulative process

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Gilbert Khadiagala, Professor Emeritus of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, described the United States’ 250-year journey as a cumulative process of nation-building in which successive generations built upon institutions and achievements established by those who came before them.

Prof. Khadiagala said the American experience demonstrates the importance of developing institutions that can survive beyond the individuals who establish them.

“You build on small successes, you build on small achievements in order, in fact, to build big achievements,” he said.

He traced the country’s institutional development through several historical milestones, beginning with the Declaration of Independence of 1776, the drafting and ratification of the Constitution in 1787 and 1788, the Civil War, the civil rights movement and the emergence of the United States as a major global power.

According to Prof. Khadiagala, the Declaration of Independence established foundational ideas, while the Constitution translated some of those ideas into institutional frameworks that continue to shape the country.

He highlighted figures including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln, whose contributions, he said, represented different stages in the development and strengthening of American institutions.

Africa can learn from US institution building

Prof. Khadiagala challenged African countries to reflect on their own nation-building experiences, particularly the ideas that guided independence and Pan-Africanism in the 1960s.

He questioned why some of those ideas have weakened decades after independence and urged African countries to examine the relationship between ideas and institutions.

“If we had good ideas in the 60s, for instance, about nation building, about Pan Africanism, where are these ideas today?” he asked.

He said Africa’s abundant natural resources and youthful population can only translate into sustainable development if supported by functional institutions, education systems, infrastructure and effective leadership.

He urged African countries to learn from successful experiences without simply copying them.

“We should avoid copying, but we should not be afraid of learning,” Prof. Khadiagala said.

Understanding America through different lenses

Mikael Cleverley, Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Kampala, said understanding the United States requires looking beyond a single historical or foreign policy perspective.

Reflecting on his personal experiences and 27 years of service in the U.S. State Department, Cleverley said his understanding of the United States had evolved through different lenses, including family history, diplomacy, international relations, philanthropy, economic development and foreign assistance.

He said these different perspectives demonstrated the complexity of the United States and cautioned against reducing the country to a single narrative.

“My appreciation for its complexity has only increased over time and grown,” he said.

Cleverley also reflected on the 1776 Declaration of Independence, noting that those who supported the document could not have known whether the new nation would survive, let alone reach its 250th anniversary.

He described the American story as one that remains unfinished, shaped by generations of citizens who have continued to build, refine and improve their institutions.

“It’s not a finished story, but one in the making,” he said.

He identified innovation, entrepreneurship, transparency, the rule of law, philanthropy and volunteerism among the elements that have contributed to American development and which continue to inform the country’s international partnerships.

Centre to strengthen academic partnerships

Prof. Sarah Ssali, Makerere University Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, representing Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, commended the United States Embassy for its continued partnership with Makerere University.

Prof. Ssali particularly appreciated the support towards the establishment of the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States, describing it as an important investment in knowledge generation, academic exchange and mutual understanding between the United States, Uganda and the wider Great Lakes region.

She said Makerere University envisions the centre as a regional hub for the study of the United States and a platform for academic exchange between Africa and the United States.

She noted that the university’s transition towards competence-based teaching and learning provides an opportunity for collaboration with American universities that have experience in implementing similar approaches.

Prof. Ssali proposed staff and student exchanges, joint curriculum development, pedagogical research and the sharing of best practices as some of the areas through which the partnership could be strengthened.

She also highlighted Makerere University’s ambition to become a research-led university, saying the Great Lakes Center could play an important role in strengthening research on relations between the United States and Africa.

Prof. Nkabala calls for continued support

Prof. Helen N. Nkabala commended the United States Embassy and partners for supporting the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States and facilitating academic exchanges.

She said the centre had contributed to Makerere University’s engagement in the public space by creating opportunities for researchers and students to participate in important public conversations.

Prof. Nkabala called for continued support for the centre, including increased opportunities for scholars and students to engage in research and academic exchange.

She also encouraged participants to draw lessons from the lecture and use them to contribute meaningfully to conversations about independence, leadership, institutions and development.

 
Great Lakes Center advances US Africa scholarship

The public lecture forms part of the activities commemorating the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

The event brought together Makerere University academics, students, researchers, United States Embassy representatives and other partners.

The Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States is also undertaking research examining Uganda United States relations since 1945 under the framework of civilizational relationality.

The research is expected to contribute to scholarship on the historical, political, social and intellectual relations between Uganda and the United States and further strengthen Makerere University’s role in regional scholarship on the United States.

Makerere University today held a certificate award ceremony for the pioneer cohort of the Certificate in Critical Thinking and Social Intelligence, a short course offered by the Department of Philosophy in the School of Liberal and Performing Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS). The ceremony brought together course facilitators, university leadership, sponsors and the 52 graduating participants to mark the successful completion of the three-week programme, which was designed to equip members of the public with practical skills in reasoning, judgment and social awareness.

The event was presided over as the culmination of weeks of work by the Department of Philosophy to design and deliver a course that speaks directly to the needs of a society grappling with an overwhelming volume of information, competing narratives and complex social interactions. From the remarks made throughout the ceremony, it was clear that the course had struck a chord well beyond the walls of the university, attracting interest that far exceeded initial expectations.

A Course Born out of Desire to Impact Society

In his remarks, the course coordinator, Dr. Spire Ssentongo of the Department of Philosophy, took the audience through the origins of the programme. He explained that the idea for the course was first developed together with the Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala, out of a shared conviction that philosophy as a discipline had much more to offer the public than is often assumed.

Dr. Ssentongo told the gathering that once the course was opened up for applications, the response from the public was overwhelming, with the programme receiving more than 350 applications for what was originally intended to be a modest short course. Of these, only 52 applicants could be admitted into the pioneer cohort, a reflection of the deliberately small class size the Department of Philosophy settled for in order to preserve the quality of engagement and discussion that the course was designed around. Dr. Ssentongo described the gap between the number of applications and the number of available places as a clear indication that there is a real and growing appetite among the public for training that helps people think more clearly, question more carefully and navigate social situations more skilfully.

He went on to explain his personal motivation for designing programmes of this nature, notably his long-standing interest in using academic knowledge to make a tangible difference in society rather than confining it to lecture halls and academic journals. According to Dr. Ssentongo, critical thinking and social intelligence were deliberately combined into a single course because neither skill is sufficient on its own. He explained that the course was intentionally designed to be interdisciplinary rather than a purely philosophical undertaking, drawing on insights from psychology, communication and the social sciences alongside philosophy. In so doing, he shared that participants would leave not only able to reason more rigorously but also better equipped to read social situations, manage relationships and engage constructively with people who hold different views.

Over the three weeks, participants were taken through sessions combining lectures, guided discussions and practical exercises intended to help them apply the concepts covered to real situations they encounter in their daily lives. The structure of the course reflected Dr. Ssentongo’s emphasis on interdisciplinarity, with sessions moving between the analytical rigour associated with philosophical training and the more applied, people centred concerns of social intelligence. This combination appeared to resonate strongly with participants drawn from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds, many of whom came to the course seeking practical tools rather than purely theoretical knowledge.

Professor Ssentongo used part of his remarks to extend gratitude to the course’s sponsors, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and UNESCO, whose support made it possible for the Department of Philosophy to design, resource and deliver the course to such a large and engaged group of participants. He noted that the partnership with these organisations reflected a shared belief in the value of equipping citizens with the intellectual tools needed to participate meaningfully in public life.

Voices From the Pioneer Cohort

Speaking on behalf of his fellow participants, the class representative of the first cohort, Mr Boniface Clever Lukwago, offered a heartfelt appreciation of the facilitators who had guided them through the three-week course. He commended the quality of teaching and the depth of engagement they experienced throughout the programme, noting that the learning environment created by the facilitators was welcoming, intellectually stimulating and conducive to open discussion.

Mr Lukwago’s remarks captured the sense of achievement felt by many in the graduating cohort, who had balanced the demands of the course with their existing personal and professional commitments over the three weeks. His appreciation for the facilitators underscored a recurring theme throughout the ceremony, namely that the success of the course rested not only on the strength of its content but also on the manner in which it was delivered.

Leadership Reflections on Critical Thinking and Its Place in Society

The Head of the Department of Philosophy, Dr Dickson Kanakulya, used his remarks to reflect on the broader importance of critical thinking in contemporary society. He emphasised that the ability to think critically, to interrogate assumptions and to evaluate evidence carefully is becoming increasingly indispensable in a world where individuals are constantly confronted with competing claims, misinformation and pressure to conform to popular opinion without adequate reflection.

Dr Kanakulya’s remarks situated the course within the broader mission of the Department of Philosophy, which has long positioned itself as a custodian of rigorous thinking within the university and beyond. He expressed confidence that graduates of the programme would carry forward the skills gained during the three weeks into their various spheres of influence, whether in their workplaces, communities or personal lives, and in so doing contribute to a more thoughtful and discerning society.

Addressing the gathering, the Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala spoke to the significance of the course within the college’s broader vision for public engagement. Having been closely involved in the conception of the programme alongside Dr. Ssentongo, Prof. Nkabala’s remarks reflected on the journey from an idea to a fully fledged course that had now produced its first group of graduates. Her presence at the ceremony underscored the level of institutional support the programme had received from its earliest stages.

The Dean of the School of Liberal and Performing Arts, Dr. Pamela Khanakwa equally added her voice to those celebrating the successful completion of the course by its pioneer cohort. Her remarks reinforced the sense that the certificate programme was not an isolated initiative but one that enjoyed the backing of School and College leadership as a whole, situating it within a wider commitment to extending the reach of humanities education beyond the traditional student population.

Certificates Awarded by the DVCAA

The high point of the ceremony was the awarding of certificates to the members of the pioneer cohort, presided over by the Chief Guest, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs (DVCAA), Prof. Sarah Ssali. As each participant received their certificate, the ceremony took on a celebratory atmosphere, marking the formal recognition of three weeks of dedicated learning and engagement.

In her remarks, Prof. Ssali congratulated the graduating cohort and commended the Department of Philosophy on designing a programme that spoke so directly to the needs of the public. “This is exactly the kind of impact we want Makerere University to have on society,” she said, urging the graduates to put what they had learned to good use in their homes, workplaces and communities. She added that the university would continue to support and encourage initiatives that extend knowledge beyond the classroom and make academic training accessible to the wider public, describing such programmes as central to the university’s mission of service to the nation.

Prof. Ssali’s presence was clear demonstration of the importance the university’s top leadership attaches to initiatives that extend academic training to members of the public. Her role in presiding over the award of certificates brought the ceremony full circle, connecting the ambitions expressed by Dr. Ssentongo at the course’s inception with the tangible achievement now being celebrated by the graduating participants.

A Model for Future Short Courses

The overwhelming response to the Certificate in Critical Thinking and Social Intelligence, evidenced by the more than 350 applications received against only 52 places available in the pioneer cohort, points to a significant and largely underserved demand for accessible, high-quality short courses that bridge the gap between academic scholarship and everyday public life. The Department of Philosophy’s willingness to design a course that speaks directly to practical, everyday needs, while still being grounded in rigorous academic work, offers a model that other departments within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and indeed across the university, may seek to replicate.

The support extended by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and UNESCO further illustrates the potential for partnerships between Makerere University and international organisations to fund and scale initiatives that have direct public benefit. As the Department of Philosophy reflects on the successful conclusion of this first cohort, attention will likely turn to how the course can be expanded, refined and made available to more members of the public who continue to express interest in developing their capacity for clearer thinking and sharper social awareness.

For the graduates who received their certificates today, the three-week journey represented more than the acquisition of a new credential. As captured in the remarks of Mr Lukwago and reinforced by the reflections of Dr. Ssentongo, Dr Kanakulya, Prof. Nkabala, Dr. Khanakwa and Prof. Ssali, the course offered participants a chance to sharpen tools of reasoning and social engagement that they will carry with them well beyond the classroom, into their families, workplaces and communities, at a time when such skills are needed more than ever.

The ceremony closed on a note of optimism, with speakers repeatedly returning to the idea that this pioneer cohort of 52 marked not an end point but a beginning, both for the individual graduates and for the Department of Philosophy’s broader ambitions of public engagement. With more than 350 applications received for the first cohort, the Department, together with its sponsors and the wider College of Humanities and Social Sciences, now faces the stimulating task of determining how best to meet that demand in the months ahead.

Photography by Allan Ainematsiko