School of Languages, Literature and Communication

The Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) at Makerere University has for the last 23 years hosted an Annual Media Convention (AMC). This event brings together academia and industry players to discuss the latest trends affecting the field of journalism and communication. This year’s AMC will coincide with celebrations to mark the World Press Freedom Day on 3 rd May 2021, which will be held under the theme, “Information as a Public Good”.

This is to cordially invite you to participate in this year’s convention set to take place on Monday, 3^rd May 2021 at CTF2 (Auditorium) starting at 8:00am. The Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Judith Nabakooba, will open the Convention.

 ***Keynote Speaker: Prof. Kabumba  Busingye, School of Law

Paper presentations  

1. Digital Security for journalists, bloggers and citizens

Presenter: Jimmy Haguma of Uganda Communications Commission

2. Journalists’ safety and security in the wake of COVID-19

Presenter: Tabu Butagira of the Daily Monitor

Panel discussions

1. Discussion to highlight ongoing research at the Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) on media freedom & safety for journalists

Panelists: Dr. Aisha Nakiwala Sembatya, Dr. Gerald Walulya, Dr. Fred Kakooza and Dr. Charlotte Kaweesa-Ntulume. The panel will be moderated by Prof. Goretti Nassanga

2. Discussion on Actions of Security Agencies: Key issues for the Police and the Army in safeguarding rights

Panelists: Brig. Flavia Byekwaso (UPDF), Hon. Semujju Nganda,  Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, ASP Patrick Onyango and Charity Ahimbisibwe, National Coordinator at the Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) 

The event will also feature the Tebere-Mudin and Cranimer Mugerwa Annual Media Awards to the best overall student in Journalism and Communication and the best student in photojournalism.

***Registration for online participation

Register in advance for this meeting:

 https://bit.ly/3mUsI5G

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For further information, please contact:  

1. Dr. Marion Alina – Convener +256 772 922777 (alinamarionz@gmail.com)

2. Dr. Fred Kakooza – Co-convener +256 756 854520 (fred.kakooza@gmail.com)

See programme below

The Dean, School of Languages, Literature and Communication invites you all to Mr. Wandera Samuel's PhD defense scheduled for Friday, 5th March 2021 at 2:00pm  in Lecture Room 1, Arts Building.

Thesis title: The Acquisition of Intercultural Competence: A Case Study of French Beginners at Makerere University

Supervisors: Dr Edith Natukunda - Togboa and Dr Enoch Sebuyungo

Link for online attendance

https://bit.ly/3kjaUj3

Meeting ID: 945 0582 2601

Passcode: 942931

See abstract below

This is to invite you to participate in the aforementioned research dissemination seminar scheduled to take place on Friday, 12^th February 2021 starting at 10:00am at CTF1, E-Learning Room, Level  4. The research was supported by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF).

***Project title: Many Peoples, Many Cultures, Many Heritages: Going Beyond nature-based tourism in Uganda

***Project team
1. Dr William Wagaba – Principal Investigator
2. Dr Enoch Sebuyungo – Co-Investigator
3. Dr Stevens Aguto Odongoh - Co-Investigator
4. Ms Margaret N. Mbalule- Co-Investigator
5. Ms Sarah Kawungezi - Co-Investigator
6. Mr Moses Oketcho – Research Assistant
7. Ms Lorna Mwebaza – Research Assistant

***Registration for online participation

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://bit.ly/3aNn1AH

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

***Project summary

The Government of Uganda tourism development plan emphasizes nature-based tourism while paying less attention to culture-based tourism. Culture-based tourism not only offers variety but is also vital in boosting the entire tourism sector. The project postulates that nature-based tourism in its current form is restricted and confines tourists only to particular areas and regions “gifted by nature”. Cultural tourism, on the other hand, gives travelers and tourists opportunities to explore, interrogate and appreciate the history, heritage, culture and stories in regions being visited. In order to broaden the tourist industry beyond nature-based tourism, it is necessary to document specific historic/cultural sites/heritages including neglected ones. This means integrating aspects of culture that have been neglected into main core tourism packages. The project envisages the integration of language, culture and people to enhance the tourism sector beyond the dominant scope of nature-based tourism. For instance, the role of languages in boosting cultural tourism across cultures, creating language and cultural manuals for local and foreign tourists – and translate these in international and national languages to promote cultural tourism beyond nature-based tourism. While we appreciate Uganda gifted by nature, we should also acknowledge Uganda gifted by culture.

This is to invite you to participate in the aforementioned research dissemination seminar scheduled to take place on Thursday, 11^th February 2021 in the E-Learning Room at CTF1, Level 4 starting at 9:00am. The research project was supported by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF).

***UNIT: Department of Linguistics, English Language Studies and Communication Skills

***PROJECT TITLE: Corpus Development of the “So” Language for Community Empowerment

***PROJECT DISSEMINATION SEMINAR PRESENTED BY - Dr. Celestino Oriikiriza (Principal Investigator), Dr. Fridah Katushemererwe (Co-investigator), Dr. Deo Kawalya (Co-investigator), Mr. Michael Wangotta (Co-investigator), and Mr. Luke Francis Kiwanuka (Librarian) in conjunction with partners: Mr. Richard Nzogi (SIL International, Entebbe), Dr. Sigal Uziel-Karl (Achva Academic College, Israel), Ms. Maria Stolen (SIL International, Entebbe), Mr. Gift Asiku (SIL International, Entebbe), and Mr. Michael Ongunda (SIL International, Entebbe)

***ONLINE PARTICIPATION 

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://bit.ly/39NLIO0

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

***PROJECT SUMMARY

This project aimed at developing a documentary corpus (a collection of oral transcriptions) of "So", one of the critically endangered languages in Uganda in Karamoja region. The language is commonly known as Tepeth. The corpus was targeted to serve as a source of data for use in describing the linguistic nature of the language, establishing its spelling system, compiling its vocabulary in dictionary form, and writing the literature, culture, and history of the people using their language. The goal is to preserve the language and to make it a usable tool for development and empowerment of the speakers, who are a marginalised community. The specific objectives of the project were: to conduct a mini survey of the language, to record the spoken form of the language, to create oral transcriptions of the recordings, to create translated versions of the recorded data, and to archive the data in an accessible and retrievable form. In order to achieve the objectives, language survey questionnaires were administered; audio and visual recordings of "So" narratives, conversations, dialogues, songs, personal histories, specific vocabulary, formulaic expressions, procedural descriptions, and the day-to-day language forms were made from the native speakers. The surveys were analysed to further understand the social and linguistic situation of the language. The recordings were labelled with an ID each, edited, processed into careful speech, and translated into Ng’akarimojong, Pokoot, and English as languages of wider communication. The source recordings together with their careful speech versions and translations constitute the documentary corpus. They have been archived in the Makerere University Institutional Repository (MakIR) together with a mini survey report, for a follow-up project to describe the linguistic nature of "So", and for accessibility by linguists, researchers, policymakers, among others, who would like to use the data for reference and analysis. 

FOTEA and the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University are pleased to announce a students' photo exhibition at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences opening on Thursday, 4th February and ending on 28th February 2021. The event will take place in the Arts quadrangle.

The exhibition will showcase the outcomes of the “Photography and Visual Literacy for Active Citizenship” programme which has been running for a year supported through Culture at Work Africa and co-funded by the European Union.

The programme was developed by FOTEA in collaboration with the Makerere University Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) to supplement the photography education provided to students. Participants took part in a series of in-depth workshops, lectures and talks. The focus of the programme was to develop visual literacy skills, as well as to encourage learning about the history of photography on the African continent, critical and creative thinking, project research and idea development techniques. It also encompassed technical skills, and encouraged participants to engage with Ugandan history and archives and work on projects documenting local communities and looking into cultural, political and social issues. 

The exhibition will kick off with an opening ceremony to be officiated by the Principal and attended by a delegation from the European Union. This will be followed by an exhibition walkabout where some of the students will talk about their work and experiences. The event will feature panel discussions run by some of the students that participated in the programme.

Event banner at: https://chuss.mak.ac.ug/en/slide/students-photo-exhibition

Press release attached below

Harnessing Digital Media for Increased uptake and Visibility of Makerere Research and Innovations

The Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC), is delighted to invite all awardees of Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) grants to participate in a week-long multimedia production zoom training sessions scheduled to start on Monday, 1^st February-Monday, 8^th February 2021.

Please register for the workshops at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqdeGspzMqHdx9DjfBGLUo0hsQF1Z...

Training programme attached below.

The Dean, School of Languages, Literature and Communication cordially invites you to attend Mr. Amos Atuhairwe’s PhD defense scheduled to take place on Monday, 25^th January 2021 starting at 10:00am in the Humanities Resource Centre, Arts Building.

Thesis title: Applicative Verbs in Ruruuli-Lunyala: Structure and Meaning

Supervisors

1. Dr. Saudah Namyalo (Department of African Languages, MAK)
2. Dr. Bebwa Isingoma (Department of Linguistics, Gulu University)

 Link for online participation

https://bit.ly/3qzYp4F

See abstract below

This is to cordially invite you to register and participate in the aforementioned research dissemination event scheduled to take place on Thursday, 5 November 2020 in CTF1, Room 1.2 starting at 10:00am. The research was supported by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF).

***Topic:  Mainstreaming Kiswahili in Uganda’s National Agenda for Regional Integration and Sustainable Development

***Project team
-Dr Caroline Asiimwe – Principal Investigator
-Dr Benardatte N. Karuhanga – Co-PI
-Dr Gilbert Gumoshabe
-Dr Innocent Masengo
-Mr Boaz Mutungi

Registration and virtual participation 

Register in advance for this meeting:
https:zoo//m.us/meeting/register/tJAocuCtqjMoG91Cmn6ukRkZ5JIPU5IiivoR

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

***Research Brief
The study on ‘Mainstreaming Kiswahili in Uganda’s National Agenda for Regional Integration and Sustainable Development’ was carried out in response to realities of modern life in the country, in the region and across the globe.

While Kiswahili is the lingua franca of the EAC, and whereas efforts are being made to institutionalize it as the official language of the Community and the country, Uganda faces a dilemma on the language, lacks a coherent policy and the position of the language is largely ambiguous. Despite the government efforts to promote Kiswahili and its popularity elsewhere, its status in Uganda’s national agenda still remains both emotive and sensitive. Only 35% usage has been recorded compared to the more than 90% in Kenya and Tanzania (African post News, 2015). Until 2019, the language was taught by selected schools at Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels despite its existence on the curriculum menu. This calls for a new approach to the development and promotion of the language to integrate it in all domains in a planned and coordinated manner.

Despite the existing linguistic situation at local, national and regional levels, and in spite of constitutional provisions that accord Kiswahili an official status, there is still limited use of the language in Uganda. The existing situation in Uganda calls for deliberate government efforts and conscious official interventions that will guide the development and use of Kiswahili to serve the needs of her citizens at the national, regional and global levels. Within this context, the study was done to critically discuss mainstreaming Kiswahili in Uganda’s national agenda as a strategy for promoting the development and use of the language with a view to strategically position the country for active participation in regional integration.

See details about the project in the attachments below.

This is to invite you all to participate in the launch and  Research dissemination event on "Transforming Ugandan Folktales into Digital (Animation) Films for Educational and Leisure Purposes". The research is supported by the Government of Uganda, through the Makerere Research and Innovations Fund (RIF). The event is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 15th Ocotober 2020, starting at 9:00am in CTF1, Room 1.2 at Makerere University.

Project Team

1. Prof. Sr. Dominica Dipio (Principal Investigator)

2. Mr. Isaac Tibasiima

3. Dr. Susan Kiguli

4. Dr. Jimmy Spire Ssentongo

5.Archt. Richard Musinguzi

Guest of Honour: Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University

VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION

Please note that the event will largely be virtual. Only the project team and a few participants will attend physically. 

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://bit.ly/3df7HOa

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Project Summary

In this project, The research team collects and adapts Ugandan folktales into animation films for the educational and recreational purposes of children and the youth. In its first phase (year), the team produced four animation films, on topical issues, based on tales collected from different regions of Uganda. The folktales collected were creatively interpreted and animated to fiti nto the contemporary mentorship and recreational needs of, particularly, Ugandan youths. This research addresses the problem of paucity of cultural-based educational and recreational materials for young people. It premises that cultural artifacts are repositories of a community’s memory; and folktales are such expressions of a community’s shared values, that may be both culture-specific and cross-cultural. The research also addresses the problem of cultural over-dependency on foreign contents and identity crisis in the global context. Uganda needs to contribute its share of intangible cultural heritage – folktales, myths, legends, and traditional wisdoms – to expand the scope of global knowledge production and consumption.

The research brought together an interdisciplinary body of scholars and talents from the Schools of Languages, Literature and Communication; Liberal and Performing Arts and Film; and practising animators from the industry. Because the primary target is the youth, the research team envisaged involving the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCD), the culture sectors in the country such as the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (GLSD); and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) as partners. The participants in the project, each and collectively, brought unique competencies as scriptwriters, illustratators, animatic designers, musicians, actors / actresses and artistic directors. The film format we have used makes Uganda’s cultural artefacts more portable and suitable for use in contemporary contexts. Using art to represent Uganda’s intagible heritage will inevitably open the the coutry further to the global community. At the national level, the selected folktales, drawn from diverse Ugandan ethnicities enhance a sense of our national identity and pride.

Project Objectives

1. To generate cultural contents relevant for the educational and recreational needs of Ugandan youths; and through this to facilitate the implementation of the 70% Local Content of the Media Policy of Uganda  through the production of quality media and cultural content
2. To contribute towards Uganda’s creative and cultural industry, through production of artistic content that could be distributed beyond the country
3. To interest and engage the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) in our pproducts for inclusion in the school curriculum
4. To increase awareness among Ugandans about the relationship of arts with national and cultural identity
5. To develop creative talents and to flag culture and as a capital that can be harnessed for economic development 
6. To publish scholarly articles on Uganda’s rich intagible cultural heritage
7. To position Makerere University on the continent as a center of innovative research excellence and outputs.

See event flyer below

For the last 30 years, the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University has been involved in the training of a critical mass of journalism and communication professionals. Over the years, we have expanded our academic programmes from bachelors to masters and doctoral degree awards. We have also been involved in cutting-edge research and publishing in the fields of media, journalism and communication as well as community outreach. We are currently one of the recognised UNESCO Centres of Excellence in journalism training on the African continent. Many of our alumni continue to serve at national, regional and international levels and have greatly impacted the journalism, media and the communication industry.

Makerere University Department of Journalism and Communication is set to commemorate ‘30 years of advancing journalism and communication professionalism’ through a series of activities. These include:

1) PUBLIC LECTURE, Thursday 26th September 2019 starting at 9:00am, Makerere University Main Hall. This event is open to the University community and the general public.

The keynote address for this lecture will be delivered by Dr. Riob Ayub, a proud alumnus and current Director General of Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation on ‘Journalism and Communication Education in the Era of Privatisation, Commercialisation and ICTs vis-a-vis African Democracy and Development needs’.

2. FUNDRAISING DINNER, Friday 27th September 2019 at Hotel Africana starting at 6:00pm.

The dinner will be hosted by the ICT Minister, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze. Proceeds from this dinner will go towards refurbishing and equipping a Multimedia Production Resource Centre at a cost of four hundred thirteen million shillings (413M). This Centre will house a Campus Television studio, radio production studios and a computer lab, to be used mainly in the training of students, and for improving the communication function within the University.

In addition, Prof. Monica Chibita the Dean- Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication at Uganda Christian University, Mukono, will deliver a keynote address on ‘Access to information for good governance’ at this dinner. A dinner table for 10 guest goes for One million five hundred (1,500,000/=) shillings only and individual entry is One hundred and fifty thousand (150,000/=) shillings only. We invite all alumni, friends and well-wishers to be part of this noble cause.

WE BUILD FOR THE FUTURE