Dr Pamela Byakwaga Mbabazi is an Assistant Lecturer in Music within the Department of Performing Arts and Film at Makerere University, Uganda, where she is actively engaged in teaching, research, and academic mentorship. She teaches a range of undergraduate courses, including Ethnomusicology, Songwriting, Music Performance, Music Archiving, and Music Theory. Her teaching philosophy emphasises critical inquiry, creativity, and the application of music scholarship to contemporary social and cultural contexts. She is committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians, researchers, and cultural practitioners through innovative, student-centred learning approaches.
Dr Mbabazi holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Music, a Master of Arts in Music, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music, all from Makerere University. Her academic and professional journey reflects a deep commitment to advancing scholarship in music and contributing to interdisciplinary research that addresses pressing societal challenges.
Her research explores the dynamic relationships between music, culture, technology, and society, with particular interest in popular music and technology, medical ethnomusicology, music and climate change, and the intersections of music, dance, identity, and migration. She examines how musical practices both shape and respond to social transformation, health, environmental sustainability, and cultural continuity in diverse communities. Her work highlights the role of music not only as an artistic practice but also as a powerful medium for cultural preservation, social inclusion, community resilience, and human well-being.
In addition to her teaching and research responsibilities, Dr Mbabazi is dedicated to documenting and preserving Uganda’s rich musical heritage through music archiving and ethnographic research. She actively collaborates with scholars, cultural institutions, and communities in initiatives that promote indigenous knowledge systems, cultural diversity, and the sustainable safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
Dr Mbabazi’s academic achievements have been recognised through several prestigious scholarships and awards, including the Gerda Henkel Stiftung for her doctoral studies, the ACE-NORAD Scholarship for her master’s degree, and a Government of Uganda Scholarship for her undergraduate studies at Makerere University. These competitive awards reflect her sustained record of academic excellence, scholarly leadership, and commitment to conducting research that meaningfully contributes to both academic discourse and societal development.
Ebyevugo as repositories of ethnic identity among Bakiga immigrants in Rubirizi, Uganda Journal Article
In: South African Journal of African Languages, pp. 1–9, 2026, ISSN: 2305-1159.
Kizino Dance-Musicking as a Living Archive of Place Identities Among Bakiga Immigrants in Rubirizi, Western Uganda Journal Article
In: Journal of Research in Music, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 37–50, 2026.
Performing Sustainability: The Power of Theatre in Environmental Communication Journal Article
In: Afr. j. clim. chang. resour. sustain., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 349–364, 2025, ISSN: 2790-9638.
Digital Technology Creating Musicians: Compromising Creativity, Dehumanising Music and Questioning Ownership? Book Section
In: Ethnomusicology in East Africa: Perspectives from Uganda and Beyond, pp. 170–176, Fountain Publishers, Kampala, 2012.