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With encouragement from Jotun and support from his family, Ashraf Salem ElSayed Abousalem earned a Master’s degree and PhD while building his career at Jotun.
Ashraf Salem ElSayed Abousalem began working for Jotun in 2010, when he was hired as a Technical Service Advisor.
“I worked in Technical Service for seven years, where I not only made some good friends, I gained a lot of experience about how coatings are handled, applied and perform over time,” he says, and adds:
“This practical, onsite experience in protective coatings proved very valuable during my studies.”
Life in the lab
While still working as a Technical Service Advisor, Abousalem earned a Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry at Mansoura University, one of Egypt’s top-rated science institutes.
“I received my degree in 2015, which helped when I applied for a position at Jotun’s Egypt’s Quality Control Laboratory two years later,” he says.
“We have an excellent team in the QC lab here in Egypt who have a lot of experience and technical knowledge about Jotun products, so in addition to gaining access to lab equipment, I learned a lot from my colleagues”, Abousalem continues.
While working as a Quality Control Chemist, Abousalem pursued his doctorate in Physical Chemistry (also from Mansoura University), with a focus on the corrosion inhibition action of novel compounds for carbon steel. At the same time, he took advantage of modules in Jotun Academy to build management competence. In 2018, he was awarded his doctorate, and a year later, he was named Manager of Jotun Egypt’s QC Laboratory.
Starting a family
Between his work in the QC department and pursuing his PhD, Abousalem spent a lot of time in laboratories but somehow managed to find time to start a family. With his PhD studies now complete, Abousalem is happy to have the opportunity to spend more time with his wife, Doaa, his two sons Zeyad and Mazen and daughter, Rafef.
“I am still pursuing research projects with my university colleagues at an international level, but I have a more flexible schedule, so I can spend more time at home,” he says, and continues:
“I am grateful to my family for supporting my academic journey and Jotun for providing me opportunities to advance my career!”
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