Through his literary connections, particularly through his friend Philip Roth, Dongala obtained a teaching position at Bard College in Massachusetts for both chemistry and literature.

[4] At first he wanted to return to his country to be with his colleagues and improve the University of Brazzaville, however, Dongala ultimately decided to stay in the States to pursue both his career as a chemistry professor and as an author.

[1] Dongala hopes to unite African francophones through these shared hardships across borders and coined the expression "écrits transnationaux," meaning "transnational writings.

[3] For Les Petits Garçons naissent aussi des étoiles, Dongala received le Prix RFI-Témoin du Monde in 1998.

[3] He became the laureate of the Fonlon-Nichols de l'excellence littéraire from the African Literature Association in 2003 for his "literary creativity" and "his contribution to the fight for the rights of man, particularly for the freedom of expression.