No abstract

The aim of this study is to understand how digital platform especially social media is being used for branding purpose of higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the present era, the traditional way of branding such as newspaper advertisement, radio jingles, career counseling workshops, education fairs, billboards has taken a back step. The Universities are implementing a unique method to create awareness about COVID-19 and for building up the brand image as part of the outreach program. Higher education especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic has started to use social media to get a competitive advantage. The present study will analyze and compare Facebook pages of the Maharishi University of Information Technology, Lucknow; Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida; Sharda University, Greater Noida, and Rama University, Kanpur from May-July 2020. The purposive sampling method was used to select the sample. The result of this study is divided into four different categories: a) The number of fans b) The posts related to COVID-19 awareness c) Content d) Like, Share & Comment. On basis of this study, the selected posts could be used as an example in case studies for other Universities/Institutions to increase their reach and subsequently build a strong brand image.

The South Asia region consists of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. The population of South Asia is about 1.891 billion or about 1/4 of the world population, making it both the most populous and the most densely populated largest geographical region in the world. In 2010, South Asia had the world’s largest population of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains and Christians. South Asia alone account for 98.47% Hindus, 90.5% of Sikhs, and 31% of Muslims worldwide, as well as 35,000,000 Christians and 25,000,000 Buddhists. Despite their diversity, South Asian countries have been at the heart of the persecution of minorities since independence. Different pattern of minority exploitation can be seen in South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives.