Meet our emPLANT Alumni – Mohamed Mosalam - emPLANT+ Master

15 Oct
Mohamed Mosalam - Alumni emPLANT


Mohamed Mosalam comes from Egypt. He was part of emPLANT Intake 2 (2019-2021).

He studied at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden during his first academic year and at the University of Helsinki in Finland during his second academic year.

He is our first alumnus to share his story in this new newsletter.

 

🌿 Career Path & Current Role

After completing my Master’s studies, I worked as a lecturer of plant breeding at Heliopolis University in Egypt and a research assistant in the Quantitative Genetics Research Group at Cairo University, where I participated in three projects focusing on wheat, fenugreek, and canola.

This experience was a dynamic turning point in my career, where I built upon the knowledge from my Master’s studies, allowing me to deepen my analytical and quantitative genetics skills — a foundation that prepared me for my current role in Germany.

I am now a researcher and PhD student at HGU Geisenheim University, working on optimizing genomic prediction of hybrid performance in sorghum. My project aims to accelerate breeding progress by developing models that can efficiently identify the best parental combinations for superior hybrid performance — ultimately saving significant time and effort in crop improvement.

 

🏆 Proudest Achievement

The Erasmus experience allowed me to grow both professionally and personally. Living and studying in a multicultural environment strengthened my social and communication skills, helping me learn how to present complex research to diverse audiences with confidence and clarity.

I’m proud that this growth recently paid off when I received the Best Poster Award at an international conference in Edinburgh for presenting my PhD research.

 

💬 Best Memory from emPLANT+

The best memory from my Erasmus journey isn’t a single photograph frozen in time, but rather a collage of contradictions that somehow made perfect sense—a collection of memories that still shine in my mind. I remember tables filled with food from every corner of the world, where at least eight languages danced together in the air — laughter in Spanish, jokes in French, science in English, and silence in Swedish. It was chaos, culture, and comfort all served on the same plate, where somehow we always understood each other — because laughter needs no translation.

The classroom was no less diverse — a place overflowing with knowledge, curiosity, and ideas that blended like spices in an international recipe… and sometimes, full of snoring. Then came the Uppsala Screaming — that glorious midnight ritual when students shouted into the night sky to release the stress of studying. I joined in, half screaming about exams, half about the Swedish cold that had somehow seeped into my soul. Later, winter in Finland redefined “cold” for me — when even eyelashes froze, but friendship stayed warm.

Those moments — from the multilingual dinner tables to the frosty mornings in Uppsala’s mist — taught me that learning goes far beyond lectures. They were proof that diversity doesn’t divide; it connects. Even in the toughest times, whether during a pandemic or a world in conflict, empathy, laughter, and friendship can still cross every border.

 

Fun Fact

I grew up in Giza, just a few kilometres from the Pyramids — yet I’ve never actually visited them. Life took me across continents for study and research, but somehow, not to the world wonder next door!

 

Mohamed Mosalam

📍 From Giza, Egypt 🇪🇬 → Geisenheim, Germany 🇩🇪

🎓 Intake 2 – emPLANT Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Plant Breeding

Last updated : October 17, 2025