Attitudes are changing, but there are still pockets in academia that definitely see having children and a successful career as incompatible. - Patricia Kingori

I left friends and colleagues behind, not sure whether they were going to be OK. I didn’t want to leave, I didn’t believe what I was seeing. I didn’t ever think that I would see dead people in the streets, or face threats of physical violence. It was a very, very dark time.

It really matters that you work with people who have the same values as you, and who are genuinely interested in creating a good working environment. I think some academic institutions and departments can be quite dysfunctional, with egos and difficult personalities, and nothing creative can grow in that environment.

We can try and manage our own careers, but it’s very different to trying to manage other people’s.