Where did you go and what did you do?

I did a 3 month internship in Cairo, Egypt as part of the GoLaSalle program in the first semester of my 3rd year. I am in a company called SEKEM.

This company was created by an Egyptian pharmacologist. After having spent part of his studies and career in Germany, he returned to his native country where he bought a plot of land in the desert to set up one of the first biodynamic farms in Egypt, with the aim of reducing poverty in his country. For his numerous commitments in favor of ecology, health and social issues, he received the alternative Nobel Prize for his global project which he continues to diversify (production of tea, spices, medicinal plants, cotton, all organic).

SEKEM uses part of its resources to help small local farmers in different types of projects; I am working on a project to help these small producers obtain certifications.

What did you learn during this GoLaSalle stay?

I learned as much about myself: ability to adapt to a brand new environment, meeting new people, ... as professionally: writing reports, questionnaires, interviewing people in English. And more generally I learned to integrate the codes of a company, its meetings, events ...

How will this help you in your professional life?

I'm sure it will remain a unique experience in my career. I was able to discover the multiplicity of jobs and opportunities offered by an engineering degree and better imagine my future in a company. This internship helped me to better understand the day-to-day life of an engineer, the tasks and organization, while continuing to improve my English.