She is a senior network automation and standardization specialist with Nokia but who thought that a girl from Uganda, the second of eight, would rise to such prominence. Not even having a supportive father like she has is enough to propel one to such great heights.
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation.
Doing her BSc in Telecommunications at Makerere University, Kampala, and then a master’s degree in Italy. Dr Winnie Nakimuli later got an opportunity to do a PhD in Telematics Engineering in Spain.
The journey begins with a love for Maths that makes her family think she will become the doctor the family lacked. However, Dr Nakimuli had no interest in biology. While she did PCB/M, she hated the Biology practicals and would have preferred to do PCM/E.
“My mother calculated so fast and with much ease. I feel like she passed that prowess to me. That is why I knew I would get telecom engineering, even with higher cut-off points than medicine. That went against my parents’ wish yet allowed me to do a course that combined engineering with computer science, two study arms I loved,” she says.
From working with ATX technologies as a radio frequency planning and optimization engineer, Dr Nakimuli got an offer from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) and a scholarship for her master’s degree. Choosing the latter, with the promise that her job would be waiting for her after her studies, she went to the University of Trento in Italy for an MSc in telecommunication engineering.
“After my studies, my dad urged me to stay there as there were better opportunities. However, I have always loved Uganda, and there was the UCAA promise. So, I knew I was not starting from scratch,” she says.
However, she says her naivety wore off quickly when she discovered the job at UCAA was no more. Then, the only available position was lecturing, and she became an assistant lecturer at Kyambogo University and Ndejje University, and other private universities.
She and another friend started a research development company to supplement her earnings. These were her jobs for the next four years.
Turning screech
One day, as she headed to Ndejje University, Luwero campus, off the main road, at high speed, Dr Nakimuli found herself several feet off the ground as the car made an L turn. In a split second, there were on-lookers.
“My only regret then was not having done my PhD. When the car came to a halt, thankfully, I looked at all the work I was putting in as a lecturer and knew that I did not want to continue the life of waking up at 4:30 am daily or working that hard for so little. I promised myself to start pursuing a PhD opportunity,” she says.
In 2020, she found an advert (EU research project) on LinkedIn, which a friend also forwarded to her. This was a 5G project that was part of the EU Horizon 2020 projects. She was hired as a technical researcher, which also came with the opportunity to pursue a PhD (100% research-based), which she did at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain.
“Once again, I did what I do best – excel, where I worked on two, not one project. While I would have loved to return home after my studies, I had earlier learned that there were not that many opportunities back home. This time, I was open to applying to several companies in Europe and beyond. This was followed by several interviews such as one with Facebook UK and US. However, that did not come through because their interview process was more suited to computer science practitioners,” she says.
Then she saw the Nokia job that read ‘Senior Network Automation and Standardization Specialist’; she thought it was bigger than she could handle. However, she saw no harm in trying, and the leap of faith was rewarded.
“With a PhD on how to enable vertical industries to leverage 5G and beyond technologies for their industrial applications”, this was the dream job as it was the best transition into the industrial world,” she says.
At Nokia, Dr Nakimuli is a standards delegate with the biggest international standards body for telecommunications, and the responsibility is to write standards that enable interoperability between different telecom vendors.
“With different manufacturers and service providers in the telecom industry, standards are crucial for compatibility. That fosters seamless communication between the different components and overall inter-telecom communication,” she says.
Coming from the PhD world where her work was experimental, at Nokia, it was a smooth transition from research & experimentation to standardization.
Managing in a male-dominated world
While her field is male-dominated, Dr Nakimuli says one crucial thing she has learned is that one does not have to be the smartest person in the room to thrive. “Even if you think you are the smartest, let it not get into your head because, in reality, there is something you don’t know,” she says.
The other is that one should never be afraid to ask questions. “Even if it’s going to make you look stupid, don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she says.
Dr Nakimuli has also learned that people love it when their ego is massaged, and if you can do it without it coming off direct or pretentious, you will win.
“It is possible to make somebody feel good about themselves without undermining yourself. That is crucial in this male-dominated industry where sometimes you wonder how far you can exert yourself without appearing aggressive, emotional, or too assertive. Growing up in a family of eight, where you share space with siblings, this has been easy for me because I learned to be humble and that I do not have to be the centre of attention,” she says.
On any learning journey, some people are much easier to approach, and Dr Nakimuli identified these because people have varying strengths. So, the trick is to figure out what person to approach and for what purpose.
“People are willing to help you learn more. That is as long as you are willing to learn and give up this air that you’re so smart,” she says.
Advice
Some women want to get into non-conventional spaces but are afraid to make the move. Dr Nakimuli advises them to go for what appeals to them rather than what appeals to society. “Go for what you love. Then you will make great strides and enjoy the journey, even in the tough moments,” she says.
Adding that it is crucial to be humble and ask questions.