UMI has introduced a Professional Public Relations Diploma by UK-based Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).The nine-month course is a premier public relations course with global recognition. The first cohort of the course at UMI got under way on Friday 3^rd February 2023, two days after its official launch. To qualify for the course, one should have a professional PR certificate, a PR-related degree and one year’s PR experience or any UK-recognized degree.

Dr Ben Mugerwa, the Chief of the Centre for Professional courses at UMI, said during the launch that the programme will add to the limited pool of professional public relations managers in Uganda. “You do not have to go to London or Nairobi to get a profession qualification in PR. We have got the course here at good rates,” he said.

“The public relations landscape is always changing. Public relations is no longer about making people laugh by making jokes and using flowery language – people get tired of all that and they need content.” “You can only be a good PR if you do continuous professional development,” said Mugerwa.

He said many companies are going through crisis management nowadays, but they do not have professionals to handle their communications and save their image. “PRs have been called liars, people who put up banners during functions, but with the new course, students will learn the code of conduct, how to be honest, transparent and how to handle confidential information.”

“We do not need people to come from abroad and handle our public relations. We are going to train our own,” said the UMI official.

In his speech, Dr Kasozi Mulindwa, UMI’s Director of programmes, said that the programme will enable students to address challenges in their day-to-day work. “The industry is always changing, so we need to keep abreast of what happens. If you are a profession, you need to behave like one. Professionals keep time and they have the right attitude towards work.”