Raphael Owor

Raphael Owor is a Ugandan physician, pathologist, academic and medical researcher. He is the immediate past Chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and Technology, serving in that capacity from 2003 until 2007.

Early life and education Born in Nagongera, Tororo District on 7 July 1934 to Tadeo and Magdalene Omiel. For his O-Level and A-Level studies, Owor attended St. Peter's College Tororo, before he was admitted to Makerere University to study human medicine. He graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. He further obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine in Pathology, also from Makerere. Following his studies at Makerere, he received further training in the United Kingdom, specializing in Human Pathology. He was conferred with the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists. Later, on 30 January 2010, Mbarara University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Science degree.

Career Owor was one of the academicians who remained behind running Makerere University Medical School, when Ugandan dictator Idi Amin expelled Asians in 1972. Owor took over the Department of Pathology and started training new Pathologists under the Master of Medicine in Pathology program. Under his tenure, the Master of Medicine in Hematology program was also introduced. Later, he served as the Dean, Makerere University School of Medicine, before he served as the chancellor of Mbarara University, from 2003 until 2007. He was the first person in Uganda, who is not a head of State, to serve as the chancellor of a public university.

Other responsibilities In 2003, he became the founding chairman of the African Health Research Forum, a pan-African organisation that aims to promote health research for development in Africa.