Nyonga Rugumayo Amundsen has a passion for science and its benefits and applications to society -in particular to developing countries. As a child, she recalls being fascinated about how things were made and worked and how plants, animals and chemicals interacted with each other. Looking after a number of pets and baking mud pies are also some of her childhood memories linked to science. In later years, she had the opportunity to live and study in Africa, Asia and Europe where she exposed to the multicultural experience and languages. The countries she has lived in are: Kenya, India, Norway, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom and Zambia. Her pre-university education was undertaken in Northern India and Uganda. Nyonga holds an M.Phil. in Biotechnology from the University of Oslo, Norway and B.Sc. in Natural Sciences from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

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As her interest in international development deepened owing to exposure and first-hand experiences of the challenges of living in developing countries and her family living in exile, she took post graduate courses in project management and budgeting, auditing and accounting. Nyonga is the Managing Director of her own company, Global Consultancy which was founded in 1996, and she has also been working with Nordic Consulting Group from 2001 until 2010. She has extensive experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa and Europe. With over 20 years of professional working experience, she has a solid international and national network. Her assignments have mainly been in the science and international development sectors. These sectors being: biotechnology, biomedicine, microbiology, neurosurgery, health, education, rural development, environment and infrastructure. Nyonga brings unique insights and experiences combining her scientific, analytic background and multicultural exposure.

Nyonga has a diverse range of clients including institutions, private sector, Non-governmental organizations and the European Union. She speaks and writes English (mother tongue) Norwegian (fluent), French (good), Rutooro (mother tongue) and Swahili (basic).

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Nyonga has written articles in the field of biotechnology and environment and also has been keynote speaker at conferences. She has also lectured at the University of Oslo. In 2009, she was nominated as an Affiliate Scientist with the American Association for the Advancement of Science Human Rights Program, and was the President of the Norwegian Polytechnic Society Millennium Group up to until 2015.

 

Nyonga has held leadership positions and board memberships. More recently, she was Vice chairman of the board of trustees for Right to Sight and member of the European Centre for Women and Technology.

In 2007, she made a television appearance on the renowned Norwegian talk show Skavlan - alongside the fomer Norwegian Prime Minister, Mr Jens Stoltenberg.