C This Week - USIU-Africa
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C ampus This Week
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY - AFRICA NEWSLETTER APRIL 6-13, 2018
Chancellor Dr. Manu Chandaria (second left), Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza (center) and U.S. Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Robert Godec cut the ribbon marking
the launch of the Secure Information Management Environment (SIME) social media lab at the Incubation and Innovation Center on Thursday, April 5. Looking on
is Dr. Maria Canudo (Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication (left), Prof. Amos Njuguna (Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and
Extension) and Assistant Professor of Information Systems and Technology Dr. Patrick Wamuyu (Center).
Lab to herald new age in social
media research
By Lochemem Bruno Michael and Dan Muchai
The Secure Information Management and overseen by Lab Coordinator Dr. to the proliferation of misinformation - a
Environment (SIME) social media lab was Patrick Wamuyu (Assistant Professor of challenge that has been the focus of
launched on Thursday, April 5, during Information Systems and Technology). the U.S. Embassy’s #StopReflectVerify
a ceremony attended by the American The lab, an unprecedented undertaking, campaign to combat ‘fake news’ - a
Ambassador H.E. Bob Godec, Chancellor is predicated on providing big data and term that has come to refer to deliberate
Dr. Manu Chandaria, Vice Chancellor Prof. social media analytics insights, powered misinformation or hoaxes created to
Paul Zeleza and other senior University by the IBM Watson Analytics for Social deceive and thus influence views, push
and embassy officials. Media software. agendas or cause confusion.
The lab, which is a joint effort funded Massive collections of user-created In “The Reality of Fake News in Kenya”
by the United States government to the information often termed big data, are - a study by Portland and Geopoll based
tune of KES 20 million, will be based in frequently generated through social on the 2017 Kenyan General Elections,
the Incubation and Innovation Center, media sources. This has inevitably led it was revealed that 90% of Kenyans
were exposed to fake news concerning the
elections, while 87% reported instances of
deliberate fake news.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza
underlined the role the lab will play in
promoting the use of research to provide
accurate well-informed engagements
within and between the different facets of
society.
In his remarks, Ambassador Godec singled
out the privacy and security threats
arising from the ‘boundless opportunities’
presented by digital technology.
He expressed his hope that the lab’s
“upcoming research on Kenyan social
media use will bring us all to a better The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza (left - seated), H.E. Robert Godec ( second left - seated) and the Chancellor
understanding of Kenya in the digital age – Dr. Manu Chandaria (right - seated), listen to Dr. Maria Canudo (Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass
Communication) as she describes how the SIME Lab will operate, following the official opening of the lab on
and especially Kenyan youth.”
Thursday, April 6. PHOTO:DAN MUCHAI
The SIMELab at USIU-Africa is the first Competitive Intelligence. These tools, use Following the launch, some students such
multidisciplinary research laboratory to be Natural Language Processing (NLP) to as Applied Computer Technology major
set up in Africa, to study social media. parse and synthesize data. Mr. Jacktone Momanyi, were offered a
The laboratory will provide a platform for chance to voice their current and planned
While demonstrating capabilities of the IBM
research and training in analyzing the undertakings regarding social media
Watson Analytics for Social Media software,
social media and internet consumption analytics. His application involves integrating
Dr. Maria Canudo (Assistant Professor of
in Kenya. This will thereafter culminate a local Twitter analytics application with
Journalism and Mass Communications),
in an annual publication on the situation Tableau - a data visualization service.
initiated a sentiment-driven search of
analysis, regarding the consumption of new social media mentions, using the keywords Other laboratory services include
media and social media in Kenya, and the “Winnie Mandela”. Sentiment analysis, a consultancy services that will entail
launch of the first-ever International Digital concept premised on extracting subjective research for companies interested in social
Communication Congress. data, will be useful for deducing trends in media and other aspects of new media,
Increasingly, the need to sort through and public opinion and extracting relationships that cover a wide range of matters such
classify big data, requires analytical tools between customer perceptions and brand as impact evaluation for partner projects,
that will enable businesses and media messaging. advocacy on different topics, training,
outfits to make decisions and communicate education and management.
The large volume of data, in this case fifty
information that is accurate and useful. thousand results, displayed during the The laboratory will further train investigative
IBM Watson Analytics for Social Media demonstration, points to the potency of the journalists on how to use big data and
software provides tools for Product Research analytical capabilities and storage capacity inform the public through social media
and Development, Marketing Strategy and of IBM’s cloud-based infrastructure. research.
Librarians meet to strategize on development of
funding proposals
The Library and Information Center on university librarians to provide justifications Librarians were encouraged to come up with
Tuesday, March 27 hosted the United for funding that will strengthen library a common survey tool that can be used to
Nations/World Bank University Librarians services. solicit users’ views on library services, that
Workshop at the Library Bookshop. The will produce evidence in the form of data
While making his remarks Associate DVC-
meeting whose objective was to ‘Learn to administrators in order to build cases to
Student Affairs Prof. Munyae Mulinge,
Strategies on how to document and build solicit funding.
underscored the role librarians play in
business cases supporting the library and
disseminating information. He urged them
develop brief and meaningful surveys to
to inculcate a reading culture in academic
back funding decisions’ was held against
institutions through working together with
a backdrop of increasing pressure on
instructors.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza observes the new bus’ hydraulic platform in action before flagging it off on Thursday, March 29. The bus, which has been been acquired
by the university as part of its fleet modernization plan, includes such new features as a charging system for electronic devices, assorted lighting and entertainment
sstems, and reclining seats. Looking on are DVC- Academic & Student Affairs Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono (left), Operations Director Eng. Paul Warui, Administration Director
Mr. Jared Raburu (third left), and Transport Supervisor Mr. George Onyango (right). PHOTO: DAN MUCHAI
Bus heralds 13 million bus will lead to greater efficiency
and address the growing needs of the
Division for their efforts in facilitating the
university’s objective of universal access to
new era
expanding university population, both of all campus services.
which are part of the transport department’s According to the World Report on Disability
strategic plan imperatives.
for persons The new bus is accompanied by a host
(World Health Organization and World Bank
2011) more than one billion people in the
differently
of new features such as USB charging, a world live with some form of disability
modern entertainment system, reclining caused by mental, physical or sensory
seats and a more powerful turbo-charged impairment.
enabled engine. These features, Engineer Warui
said, are designed to make lengthy bus
The new Policy for Access of Persons
By Dan Muchai with Disabilities, and Other Special
journeys comfortable and exciting. Needs establishes minimum standards
On Friday, March 29, the Vice Chancellor
Prof. Paul Zeleza flagged off the most But the bus’ most striking feature remains and expectations at institutional, school,
recent addition to the University’s six-bus a new hydraulic platform at the back. program, course and individual levels at
fleet. The new 40-seater modern coach bus The platform - arguably the first of its the university, in relation to the provision of
was flagged off by the Vice Chancellor Prof. kind on college buses in Kenya - enables quality and inclusive education for persons
Paul Zeleza accompanied by officials from wheelchair-bound passengers to be lifted who are differently abled.
the Administration Division as well as other to the floor of the bus without leaving their Prof. Zeleza pointed out that the new bus is
senior university officials. wheelchair. Additionally, the bus has the a reflection of the University’s determination
capacity to secure and transport up to to give effect to this new policy, “We are
Operations Director Eng. Paul Warui
seven such passengers on a given journey. going to implement this policy in all aspects
described the new addtion as part of
the transport fleet upgrade plan, which Speaking before he flagged off the bus’ first of our programs and services to make sure
anticipates an overhaul of the entire fleet by trip, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, that all of us feel that sense of belonging.”
the year 2020. According to him, the KES applauded officials from the Administration
Dr. Ireri’s articles published in renowned
communications journal
Two book review articles by Dr. Kioko Ireri, management strategies and assesses how
an Associate Professor of Journalism and a politician’s race affects self-presentation
Mass Communication have been published and media portrayals. Second, the book
in the current issue of Journalism & Mass positions the media as a vital link in the
Communication Quarterly, the flagship citizen–politics relationship. Tolley is an
journal of the Association for Education assistant professor in the Department of
in Journalism and Mass Communication Political Science at the University of Toronto,
Education (AEJC). where she teaches Canadian politics.
Authored by Erin Tolley, Framed: Media and The other book, Image and Emotion in Voter
the Coverage of Race in Canadian Politics, Decisions: The Affect Agenda examines
looks at the reportage of White and visible the media coverage of politicians’ images
minority candidates so that patterns of media and their influence on voters in election
framing can be compared. Specifically, the campaigns. Politicians’ images are
volume explores the contextual nature of comprehensively interrogated in terms of
racialized media coverage by looking at a attributes, appearance, characteristics,
number of factors that include candidate and personal style—and how these factors
gender, political party affiliation, and the shape voters’ attitudes in evaluating political Dr. Kioko Ireri, an Associate Professor of Journalism
and Mass Communication PHOTO:SELF
diversity of the ridings in which politicians candidates. The volume is the incredible
run. work of Renita Coleman, associate
Similarly, it investigates candidates’ own professor at the University of Texas at emotional displays, and personal attributes.
views on media coverage and race in Austin School of Journalism, and Denis Second, in spite of numerous studies on
politics. It sheds light on the work that Wu, associate professor of communication the influence of mediated agendas on
journalists do, the constraints that they at Boston University. Coleman and Wu politics, Coleman and Wu point out that
face, and how they think about covering provide two key arguments why politicians’ most research examine texts only—yet the
stories touching on diversity. images matter in political communications news media does not deliver words only.
scholarship, especially when studied from Thus, they argue that the potential impact
Tolley outlines two strong justifications why affect, information processing, and agenda- of visuals on people’s perceptions is too
Framed is useful. It is the first Canadian setting theoretical standpoints. First, many important to ignore in research. This is so
study that documents visible minority public office seekers are assessed not because visuals make stories on television
and White candidates’ accounts of their on the issue stances they embrace, but credible and interesting, resulting in what
electoral, communication, and image on their images — self-presentation, the authors refer to as “picture superiority.”
Media Mentions
By Diana Meso.
April 6: USIU-Africa was mentioned by
April 4: Techweez mentioned USIU-Africa March 30:The Star mentioned USIU-Africa in
Scrummage in an article title “USIU Martials
in an article titled “Kenya Blog Awards an article titled “Homeboyz confront Kabras,
release match day 23 for Bulls test.”
(BAKE Awards 2018) Nominees List is Out.” Western Bulls and Makueni in tricky pool.”
April 5: USIU-Africa was mentioned by
April 4: USIU-Africa was mentioned online in March 29: Citizen Digital mentioned
BizNis Africa in an article titled “Habil
an article titled “Nominees Announced and USIU-Africa in an article titled “It’s
Olaka, Kenya Bankers Association CEO.”
Voting Opens for the 2018 BAKE Awards.” Easter hunt at Top Fry Great Rift 10s.”
April 5: The Scrummage mentioned
April 4: The Star mentioned USIU-Africa March 28: USIU-Africa was mentioned by
USIU-Africa in an article titled “Western
in an article titled “Butali sign three Citizen Digital in an article titled “Homeboyz
Bulls announce squad for USIU tie.”
players ahead of upcoming season.” highlights draw for the Great Rift 10-A side.”
April 4: The Star mentioned USIU-
April 3: The Star mentioned USIU- March 26: USIU-Africa was mentioned
Africa in an article titled “USIU denies
Africa in an article titled “Strathmore by Scrummage in an article titled “Week
wrongdoing in lawsuit over broken lift.”
sides beef up ahead of new season.” 14 review: Kisumu RFC, Egerton win
April 4: USIU-Africa was mentioned on the road as USIU’s woes continue.”
April 3: USIU-Africa was mentioned by the
by Potentash in an article titled “BAKE
Daily Monitor in an article titled “Wazalendo,
Awards 2018 Nominees Unveiled. Vote
Wananchi inflict Easter pain on KHC.”
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