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Overcoming Obstacles on the Academic Track with OWSD

“Am very proud to say that I am encouraging other Cameroonian female scientists to apply for the OWSD fellowship programme and some of them have obtained the grant."

Let me tell you my love story with OWSD. As a female scientist, at times it can be difficult to continue on the academic track. Everything started in November 2008, when I was granted an OWSD part-time postgraduate fellowship to carry out my PhD research work between my home University, the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon and the University of Zululand in South Africa. This was the beginning of a long journey.

OWSD enabled me to travel outside my country for the first time and introduced me to the facilities of a well-equipped laboratory abroad. My PhD research was in the new field of nanotechnology and in 2013, I obtained my PhD honors in Inorganic Chemistry. Thus, I entered the scientific community becoming a member of designated organizations such as OWSD, RSC, SACI and IUPAC. I have travelled worldwide sharing my work with other researchers and have attended so far 16 seminars, workshops and conferences. I was also honored when selected to attend on May 2016 the OWSD Fifth General Assembly and International Conference on Women in Science and Technology for the Developing World in Kuwait.

Now Senior Lecturer at Dept of Inorganic Chemistry University of Yaounde I Cameroon

It was a privilege to network with many other women scientists from other research areas from around the world.  As a result of this conference, we, Cameroonian female scientists have decided to create our own National Chapter. Our research group is collaborating with other institutions in Africa and Europe and I am the co-author of 7 published articles in peer reviewed journals. In December 2014 we were awarded the RS-DFID grant (Royal Society- Department For International Development).

Linda Dyorisse Mbong is now a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Inorganic Chemistry University of Yaounde I in Cameroon.

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