An academic from Queen’s University Belfast has been awarded a UK-U.S. Fulbright Visiting Scholarship to the U.S. to explore the role of Irish-America and the U.S. government in both the Northern Ireland conflict and peace process.

Birmingham-native, Dr Peter McLoughlin is a lecturer in Politics from the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, and an Associate Fellow at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s.

Commenting on receiving the Fulbright Visiting Scholarship award, Dr McLoughlin said: “I’m delighted to receive this award. It will allow me to thoroughly research and thereby demonstrate the vital part that the U.S. played in bringing peace to Northern Ireland.

“The tremendous role of President Clinton and Senator George Mitchell may be well known, but I also aim to show that many other activists and office holders in the U.S. – both before and after the Clinton administration – worked for many years to advance peace and justice here.

“Arguably, the Northern Ireland case provides the best example of the use of U.S. “soft power” – that is purely diplomatic influence and economic support – to end serious conflict.”

As part of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program Dr McLoughlin will be based at Boston College, but will also conduct research in Washington, at the President Reagan Library, and the George W. Bush Library in Dallas over a period of eight months commencing in January 2019.

Considered one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world, the U.S.-UK Fulbright Commission was founded by diplomatic treaty in 1948, to foster intercultural understanding between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland through educational exchange.

Penny Egan CBE, Executive Director of the U.S.-UK Fulbright Commission commented: “In the U.S.-UK Fulbright Commission’s 70^th year, we can look back on the lasting impact that more than 27,000 educational exchanges between the UK and U.S.

“We know that this cohort of Scholars will make the most of this opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture, develop ongoing partnerships, and move us closer to fulfilling Senator Fulbright’s vision of a world of peace and prosperity through greater understanding between our peoples.”

Dr McLoughlin is among 48 grantees of the 2018-19 Fulbright cohort from across the UK.