Alumni Days: Muhammad MOAZZAM (Plant Breeding - ST2AE, 2020, Beauvais)

Why did you choose to study in France?

I was in the first class of the emPLANT master's program, and UniLaSalle offered courses that matched my interests. France was also the first European country I'd visited, and it turned out to be an extraordinary experience. The education system was much more intensive than in my home country, which enabled me to acquire a solid grounding in the basics.

Apart from my studies, there were many culture shocks, and I learned from all of them. French was a particularly difficult language for me, and at one point I gave up learning it 😄. However, one of the most valuable aspects of my time in France was staying in the international residence with students of almost 30 different nationalities. The various discussions and moments of introspection made the stay a unique learning experience.

At the end of your studies, did you stay in France? 

As per our emPLANT program, our second year of Master was in Turkey so we moved to Turkey.

After Turkey, I completed my master’s thesis at Ghent University in Belgium. It was during the COVID period, which made research particularly challenging since our access to the VIB lab was restricted. However, this limitation provided us the oppertunity to develop plant tissue culture and DNA testing protocols in another laboratory, which turned out to be a valuable learning experience.
During out time at France, we had the opportunity to attend the ISF's (International Seed Federation) annual conference, which was a good networking event. Through one of those connections, I learned about a job opportunity at the Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance (APSA). Given the pandemic situation, I worked remotely for APSA for about two years while residing in Belgium.
Later, when my wife moved to the Netherlands, I started looking for job opportunities there. The job search was extremely difficult, but eventually, I landed my dream job at Naktuinbouw. The knowledge and skills I gained from UniLaSalle and the emPLANT program have been incredibly valuable in my career journey. 

What would you like to see in the future?
At the moment, I like my current job and the Pays-Bas. So I think I'll probably keep working.