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The Theme Group "Political Economy of the Great Lakes of Africa" builds further on a long-time personal commitment to work in and on the Great Lakes Region. This work was institutionalized by building long-term partnerships with institutes in the Region (late eighties), by the founding of the Center for the Study of the region of the Great Lakes (GRALAC) and by the organization of a Masters programme on Governance and Development (late nineties).  

The main impetus to work towards a common academic and interdisciplinary agenda came from the implosion of the state following the start of the Transition process in Zaire, the turbulence generated by the civil war and the genocide in Rwanda and its aftermath and the crisis caused by the murder of president Ndadaye in Burundi. These events signal a deep social and economic crisis in the region but at the same time they challenge researchers to look for particular ways of collecting and analysing information and relating their academic work to development action.

During the first years, the focus was on the collection of information, analysis and the drafting of policy advice. The 'data' were gathered via a network of contacts in the region of the Great Lakes and via an institutional relationship with the Faculté des Sciences & Techniques de Développement, FCK-Kinshasa.

Later-on, this network was substantially expanded. Not only did the network of contacts increase but other African countries and actors were included in the analysis (Uganda, Angola, the Sudan, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa). The yearly publication of an Annuaire and a series of books on the political economy of the Region were and still are the main outputs.  The actual Theme Group continues this work, though the emphasis has shifted more to interdisciplinary analysis of transition processes 'from conflict to inclusive development'.