General
Social media: the modern trend of building and championing institutional brands in higher education
On 26th February 2018, the Directorate of ICT Support (DICTS) at Makerere University organised a Social Media for Higher Education Workshop to sensitize staff and students on how they can utilise social media and other digital media platforms to champion the institution’s brand amongst its stakeholders around the world.
Officially opened by the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe who was represented by the Director of DICTS Eng. Kitumba Frank, the workshop also focused on discussing the important ways of how Makerere University, can embrace the professional usage of social media tools to improve its online brand as well as harmonising social media as a learning tool.
During the interactive sessions, experts in social media management, communication, Public relations, digital marketing and digital PR and ICT intelligences from both government institutions and private sector, the researchers in academia shared ideas on how the staff and student can exploit their personal social media platforms to promote, protect and market Makerere University as a brand with the aim of increasing its visibility.
In a speech read by Eng. Kitumba, The Vice Chancellor appreciated the move by the Directorate of ICT Support (DICTS) to sensitize the University community on proper representation of Makerere University as a brand online. He urged staff and students to own the University reputation and promote its work in research, innovations and other developments wherever they are.
“Social media is increasingly becoming a key online marketing tool for institutions the world over, therefore we need to ensure that Makerere University is very vibrant on social media as we embark on the move to unlock its potential,” he said.
Social Media has evolved exponentially into a powerful social engagement, business intelligence and educational tool that should be embraced by all in this information driven age. Today, companies use social media for predictive data analytics whose findings can be used for business forecasting, improving business sales and retaining customers.
Higher education institutions the world over are equally embracing social media as a research marketing tool that is able to drive user traffic to their web-portals, improve their visibility and rank as well as market their research products to a wider audience.
“Social media tools are useful for gathering, collating, accessing, managing, sharing and disseminating your work and research findings. The effective use of social media tools can also enable you to manage your online presence, develop your reputation, maximize your impact and build networks,” Prof. Nawangwe mentioned.
According to the Director, DICTS Eng. Kitumba Frank, Makerere University joined the trend of using social media with the aim of promoting its brand, protecting its image and increasing the opportunities of reaching out to its stakeholders. To achieve this wonderful milestone, the institution has been able to harmonise the existing online platform and ICT tools together with social media platforms to easily reach out to its stakeholders.
Mr. Kitumba also revealed that the University is developing a tool that will increase the staff and students interactivity on Makerere University social platforms. He therefore encouraged them to be very vibrant online and ensure that they positively represent the great brand and legacy Makerere owns.
“We are ensuring that the institution moves with the trend. We have managed to harmonise the existing tools with the social media platforms to ensure increase our interaction with the users and also market our research, innovations and other developments in academics,” he said.
Samuel Paul Mugabi, the End-User Manager at DICTS said that Social media has evolved overtime and it is more than a casual linkup. According to him, the Makerere University has therefore recognized the changing trend and adopted the service delivery model where the IT Service Management has been streamlined to fit the social media trend and online interactivity among end users.
“We have improved the quality and consistency of the IT support experience for students, faculty and staff using various electronic touch points such as email, phones, CRM and Help-Desk tools. As the end user unit, we are in the process of repackaging data to fit our users’ interest and ensure that the message produced, effectively communicates across all the university platforms. We are working hand in hand with the Makerere University Public Relations Office to ensure that Makerere University maintains its relevancy through its digital platforms,” he explained.
Engaging the audience on the importance of institutional branding, the Brand and Marketing Officer of Makerere University Mr. Agaba Issa Magabo said that branding helps institution to attract Government support for institutional plans, to continue attracting partnerships from both local and international agencies and to maintain the confidence of alumni especially the would-be donors that their alma mater still “rocks”.
“If you are to attract local and international finances, you must behave in a certain unique, uniform and authentic way that will catch the funder’s eyes and then entrust you with his money. This means you need to have an authentic brand that is popular and respected,” he said.
He cautioned staff and students who misrepresent and misuse the university brand saying that it does not only affect the university as an institution but also tarnishes their names.“For many years Makerere University has been branded as an institution of strikes, this has strongly tarnished its image and reputation. The negative reports in the media have done more harm than good to the institution’s image and has inflicted a big damage on its market. But remember this is our institution, which needs our protection. Let us enjoy its legacy through building and maintaining its brand that it has held for centuries as we build for the future,” he said.
Reiterating the need to manage content when communicating a powerful brand, the Makerere University Senior Public Relations Officer Ms. Ritah Namisango urged students and staff to always make a background check on the content they post about the institution. According to her, relevant and valuable content will always attract, engage and drive the audiences to follow the institution’s work hence creating traffic on the platforms. She appealed to staff and students to always defend and protect the institution’s image when interacting with their personal social media platforms.
“Our actions should support our institution. We should represent Makerere University positively as a good brand. Change starts with YOU. Be the change that you want to see. Communicate responsibly especially on social media.” she stated.
In a presentation on ‘how the media has improved our professional call a case study of WhatsApp, Dr. Paul Birevu Muyinda, said that social media tools such as WhatsApp have potentials to provide cooperation, increase social interaction, interest and motivation, sense of belonging, academic success, student-student and student-teacher interaction. The tools also support learning anytime and anywhere, provide peer support, feedback, and allow for sharing of information in education.
He however, noted that despite their relevancy, many tutors have met challenges while using social media to reach out to their students. “Concerns towards privacy and security, losing attention, getting beyond the limits in personal relations, use of slang language, and negative effects on academic life arising from excessive use of social media have been cited while tutors try to reach out to students via social media,” he stated.
Mr. Mathias Ssemanda a Digital Marketing Specialist said digital Marketing varies greatly depending on institutions interests and values. According to him, higher education institutions are often caught in the crosshairs of upholding history and tradition and moving forward into the future with students. This makes it vital that their social media marketing efforts comprise part of a larger strategy focused on the overall institutional brand.
Ssemanda said that as social networks continue to advance and meld into aspects of everyday life, the academic world is determining the way in which these digital tools can work to educational advantage in correlation with conventional methods.
“The intended core of social media is communication, providing great opportunities for those within the education industry to connect, share and learn. Digital marketing builds and maintains the customer relationship through online activities. When well-managed, digital marketing can put the consumer in control, provides convenience, drives the brand loyalty, reduces the selling cycle and captures customers that are searching on the Internet for answers,” he said.
Taking the audience through social media threats, risks and security, the Director Cyber-Crime Unit in the Uganda Police Mr. Haguma Jimmy said many people have become victims of social media threats and crime in Uganda. According to Mr. Haguma, over the years the Uganda Police has registered several cases of cybercrime such as cyber rape, conmen online, destruction of relevant information by security threats, illegal hackers among others.
He therefore advised Ugandans to adopt the best social media practices and also familiarize themselves with the laws that govern social media in Uganda. “Many laws have been put in place to regulate the social media environment, take time and read them so that you know your position while using social media. Do not open any emails from untrusted sources. Do not give offers from strangers the benefit of the doubt. Lock your laptop/Phone whenever you are away. Purchase anti-virus software. Read your company’s privacy policy to understand under what circumstances you can or should let a stranger into the building. Set strong passwords,” Mr. Haguma said.
Article and photos by: Proscovia Nabatte, Mak-Public Relations Office
By Moses Lutaaya
Kampala, September 4, 2026 — Makerere University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have explored new opportunities for strengthening academic, research and innovation collaboration between Uganda, Japan and other African countries, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace engineering, materials and remote sensing, food value chains, energy, water and climate change.
The discussions took place on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the Makerere University Main Building in the Vice Chancellor’s Board Room, during a visit by a JICA delegation led by Dr. Okano Takasei, Senior Advisor, Human Development Department of JICA.
Makerere keen to deepen collaboration with JICA
Welcoming the delegation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali, highlighted Makerere University’s long-standing tradition of research, international collaboration and contribution to knowledge generation in Uganda and beyond.
Prof. Ssali noted that Makerere has built a strong global research footprint through partnerships with institutions around the world, observing that the University is well positioned to deepen international collaboration as emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, continue to transform research and higher education.
“Uganda has a very long history of doing research, and particularly it has informed research findings in the areas global health research,” Prof. Ssali said, pointing to Uganda’s historical contribution to global scientific knowledge.
She cited the country’s contribution to medical and biological research, including early research on sleeping sickness, noting that Uganda’s unique research environment continues to offer opportunities for scientific discovery.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere’s history of collaboration with Japan is particularly significant, noting that Japanese cooperation has contributed not only to academic and research activities but also to infrastructure development and other sectors in Uganda.
She cited the establishment of the JICA building at Makerere, describing it as one of the visible symbols of Japan’s long-standing partnership with Makerere University.
According to Prof. Ssali, the building, which houses College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) disciplines of geology, petroleum studies and administrative offices, was constructed during her undergraduate years and completed within a remarkably short period.
Prof. Ssali said the long-standing relationship between Uganda, Makerere University and Japan provides a strong foundation upon which new areas of collaboration can be built. She encouraged the visiting JICA delegation to explore the University and identify areas where existing partnerships could be strengthened or new areas of cooperation developed.
“Please take time and explore and see where either you already have a footprint, where you’ve ever had a footprint, or where you could explore new areas,” she said.
Prof. Ssali added that Makerere was privileged to host the JICA delegation and expressed optimism that the visit would lead to meaningful and sustainable partnerships.
Strengthening Joint Collaboration through AJ-ASPIRE
Dr. Okano, in his remarks as leader of the delegation said the visit formed part of a broader JICA initiative aimed at promoting academic and research collaboration between Japanese and African universities.
He explained that the initiative was launched on the occasion of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama in September 2025, with the objective of strengthening academic and research partnerships between Japan and Africa.
According to Dr. Okano, the initiative is intended to benefit both African and Japanese universities by providing platforms for internationalisation, collaborative research and the exchange of knowledge, researchers and students. “We would like to play a role of facilitator between universities in Japan and Africa and Uganda as well,” he said.
He explained that JICA is currently promoting the initiative through three African hub universities where JICA already has ongoing projects and experts on the ground.
The three institutions are Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) in Egypt, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya, and Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Dr. Okano said the selection of the three institutions was informed by the presence of ongoing JICA-supported projects and experts who can facilitate collaboration between the hub universities and institutions across Africa and Japan.
The hub universities are currently coordinating research with Japanese universities in strategic areas, with E-JUST focusing on energy, JKUAT leading work on food value chains, and Stellenbosch University focusing on water and climate change.
Dr. Okano said JICA was particularly pleased to explore collaboration with Makerere University under the African-Japan Initiative for Research and Education Partnerships, known as AJ-ASPIRE.
He outlined three major avenues through which Makerere could participate in the initiative.
The first is participation in existing research programmes hosted by the three hub universities. He added that Makerere researchers could join ongoing research on energy, food value chains, water and climate change, thereby creating opportunities to work with Japanese and other African researchers.
“We would like to explore opportunity for researchers from Makerere University to participate in these ongoing research activities and expand collaboration with Japanese and African partner institutions,” Dr. Okano said.
The second area is the development of new research networks in artificial intelligence and aerospace engineering. Dr. Okano said JICA was planning to establish new research groups focusing on the two areas and would be interested in having Makerere researchers participate in the emerging networks. “We would like to also invite researchers from Makerere University to join these networks and implementation of future collaboration in these two research topics, aerospace engineering and AI,” he said.
The third proposed avenue is increased collaboration between Makerere University and E-JUST, which Dr. Okano said offers fully funded scholarship opportunities for African students through a programme jointly supported by the governments of Egypt and Japan.
He noted that a number of Makerere graduates have already benefited from the programme, including researchers who have pursued doctoral studies and research opportunities in Egypt and Japan.
Dr. Okano cited the example of Mr. Abdonoor Kalibala, a Makerere alumnus whom he recently met in Hiroshima, Japan, following completion of PhD in Mechatronics and Robotics engineering at E-JUST. Mr. Kalibala conducted research in Japan for up to six months under the supervision of a Japanese professor as part of his doctoral programme.
Dr. Okano said such programmes could help strengthen the movement of researchers between Uganda, Egypt and Japan and create lasting institutional partnerships.
He added that JICA is also providing small research grants to alumni of the programmes to help them maintain and expand research collaboration involving Japan, E-JUST and African institutions.
He said Makerere could leverage such opportunities to increase the participation of its students and researchers in international research networks.
AI, Materials and Remote Sensing and International Relations Set the Pace
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships at Makerere University, said the visit followed an online engagement held a few weeks earlier between Makerere University and JICA, during which several areas and units within the University were identified as potential points of collaboration.
Prof. Wamala said these included the Makerere University AI Lab, the University’s International Office and researchers working in space engineering, particularly in materials and remote sensing.
He welcomed the transition from online discussions to physical engagement, saying the visit would allow JICA representatives to interact directly with researchers, academic units and University authorities. “This interest is being followed up through an in-person visit, which provides us an opportunity for JICA to engage directly with the relevant units and researchers at Makerere University,” Prof. Wamala said.
For Makerere, he added, the initiative provides an opportunity to connect the University’s research strengths with Japanese universities, research institutions and development partners to address shared development challenges.
Prof. Wamala said the University was particularly interested in identifying practical areas of collaboration that could move beyond general discussions to concrete research partnerships, joint projects and opportunities for students and researchers.
He noted that the JICA delegation’s on-campus interactions scheduled to take place throughout the day would enable the two sides to identify specific areas of mutual interest. “We hope these engagements will help us identify specific areas of future interest and provide a basis for developing concrete areas of collaboration under the AJ-ASPIRE,” Prof. Wamala said.
He reiterated Makerere’s commitment to strengthening international research partnerships and thanked JICA for its continued interest in the University.
Dr. Okano, was accompanied by Mr. Ito Idomu, Research and Advisor at the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Osaki Mistuhiro from JICA headquarters, Ms. Eric Maeda from JICA Headquarters, and Ms. Ruth Mbabazi from JICA Uganda.
JICA follow-up meetings with Makerere research units
Following the high-level meeting in the Vice Chancellor’s Board Room, the JICA team, together with the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, proceeded to engage with key research and administrative units at Makerere University identified as strategic to the proposed areas of collaboration.
The delegation held meetings with the Makerere University AI Lab, led by Dr. Joyce Nabende of the College of Computing and Information Sciences (COCIS), to explore opportunities for cooperation in artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies.
The team also met officials from the Makerere University International Office, led by Mr. Mathias Ssemanda, where discussions focused on opportunities for strengthening international academic linkages, mobility and institutional partnerships.
A further engagement was held with the Department of Geomatics and Land Management, focusing on materials and remote sensing, led by Prof. Lydia Kayondo from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT).
The engagements provided an opportunity for the JICA team and Makerere researchers to move from broad discussions on collaboration to more specific conversations around research interests, expertise, existing projects and potential areas for joint work.
The visit marks an important step towards strengthening Makerere University’s engagement with Japanese and African research institutions under AJ-ASPIRE, while opening opportunities for researchers and students to participate in emerging international networks in artificial intelligence, aerospace engineering, remote sensing and other strategic areas of science, technology and innovation.
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