Citizen diplomacy describes the relationships between countries in terms of people-to-people connections, and it’s what Patrick McNamara, Ph.D., the executive director for the United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission, spoke about in the Skutt Student Center as part of a luncheon hosted by Creighton’s Asian World Center.  

 The Fulbright Program is an international academic exchange program that stems from a bill introduced in 1945 by Senator J. William S. Fulbright after World War II.  

“… Sen. William Fulbright thought, ‘We need more people-to-people-connections, more citizen diplomacy, and not just government-to-government relationships,’” McNamara said during his speech during the Sept. 10 event.  

The program aims to expand the ways in which different countries relate to each other through the involvement of numerous countries across the globe. 

“[There are] 150 different countries that have Fulbright programs. Most of them are run out of the U.S. Embassy. But 49 countries have Fulbright commissions,” McNamara said. 

Fulbright commissions are distinct in that they are binational partnerships between the U.S. and the partner country, both aiming to further their academic relationships.  

“Both countries’ interests are literally at the table,” McNamara said.    

The United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission was established in 1952, and McNamara arrived on the scene as its executive director in 2024. During his lecture, he described his time as executive director as “life-transforming.” 

Prior to assuming his position at Fulbright, McNamara took on other roles as well. He was an instructor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where he taught conflict resolution and sustainable development, two topics that lend themselves generously to citizen diplomacy. He also worked as the director of philanthropic services at the Omaha Community Foundation, a community that aims to foster connections between Omaha community leaders on a level more small-scale than international diplomacy, but still vitally important to the people of Omaha.  

He also has a connection to the Creighton campus.  

“He and I worked [together] for many years … he was the former president of the Omaha World Affairs Council, and I was the co-president of the Nebraska World Affairs council. Of course, he’s a political science professor, and I’m a political science professor … we had a lot of common interests,” Maorong Jiang, Ph.D., and director of the Asian World Center at Creighton University, said.  

Both men were honored by the India Association of Nebraska for their efforts with U.S.-India relations. In fact, as part of his involvement with the Fulbright program, McNamara was a 2011 Fulbright Nehru Scholar in India, where he conducted research on water conflict, according to his UNO profile.  

Water conflict – a topic that concerns disputes over water between nations, leaders and communities – is just one thing that citizen diplomacy can be applied towards. In a reflection over his colleague’s lecture, according to Jiang, citizen diplomacy is not solely defined by political relationships as business, academic and community relationships are also included within this concept. 

“[They are a] less political, or new political, a political relation between countries so that people will talk face-to-face, or heart-to heart, to form a genuine friendship among people between different countries,” Jiang said.   

With the goal of strengthening their bonds internationally, these relationships are utilized by students to communicate across state borders. 

 “Through the Fulbright Student Scholarship, our students go to various countries – such as Sri Lanka, or a student from Sri Lanka comes to the United States. It’s a very effective form of citizen diplomacy in terms of getting to know each other and appreciating different cultures,” Jiang said.  

If students are interested in the Fulbright program, studying abroad is the best step forward.  

“It dips your toe in the water,” McNamara said.  

Students can then then move on to apply for the postgraduate program starting in the spring before their graduation year. The deadline for 2026’s Fulbright application is October 7.  

McNamara maintains that every student can make an impact. 

 “As you think about if you are wanting to apply for a Fulbright, think about articulating how — whatever it is you that want to do — it makes America stronger, safer and more prosperous. And frankly, I think you can frame almost anything in those terms,” McNamara said.  

In this same vein, McNamara discussed the idea of radical hospitality. 

“Literally invite people into your home,” McNamara said. “There is something about literally breaking bread together at your dinner table that is different than meeting in a university conference room or having a beautiful meal at a restaurant … to be able to welcome someone into your home and host them with an open mind is probably the most important way we can interact with others.”