On 28 February 2026, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) officially launched its Mentoring Programme as part of the Women and Scientific Careers initiative. Led by the Human Capital Division in partnership with SEW – Smart Ecosystem for Women, this initiative will support twenty young secondary school students and university students over the course of one year.
A structured programme to support the academic-to-professional transition
The programme’s ambition is to prepare participants for a successful transition from academia to the scientific professional world. Through a structured one-year pathway, it aims to strengthen participants’ confidence, sharpen their strategic orientation and develop their ability to envision careers of excellence in science and technology.
The first mentors’ meeting served to present the programme’s framework and objectives, share the mentoring guide and highlight the profiles of the young beneficiary ambassadors. Discussions also addressed the role expected of mentors — their commitment, their posture and their responsibility in this collective dynamic of knowledge transmission.
An institutional commitment to including female talent
Through this initiative, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar reaffirms a deep conviction: no scientific excellence can be built without equal opportunities and the full inclusion of female talent. In an institution where women make up a significant proportion of research teams — including 80% of young researchers at the Vaccine Research Center — this ambition carries particular resonance.
The Mentoring Programme is part of a long-term vision: to build a pipeline of trained, supported and empowered women scientists, capable of contributing to the most complex public health challenges in Africa and beyond.
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