Pauline Byakika

Pauline Byakika–Kibwika (née Pauline Byakika) is a Ugandan specialist physician, internist, epidemiologist, academic and researcher. She was appointed and announced as the vice chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and technology. in August 2024 after emerging the best out of the 5 candidates shortlisted for the job. She previously served as a professor of medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences.From 2017 until 2019, she served as the vice president of the Uganda Medical Association, a professional industry association that champions medical doctors' interests in Uganda.

Quotes

• “I told myself if I want to do good clinical research I need to be a good physician. And to be a good doctor meant I needed to go back for more training.”
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• We noticed a lot of women were lacking the soft skills, things like management, leadership, budgeting. In addition to those things, mentors talk about the different strategies they used to advance their career.”
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• “So we had senior women scientists speak to the junior women about the obstacles unique to women,” she says. “And that’s how I came to apply for the TDR grant.”
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• had a mentorship programme in place,” she says, “but it wasn’t very strong or well publicized
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