Diamond hosts SESAME delegation

Diamond Light Source hosted a delegation from SESAME in Jordan, marking a renewed commitment to the existing scientific collaboration between the two facilities. 

Also in attendance was Professor Dame Angela McLean, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, a representative of His Excellency Manar M Dabbas, Jordan’s ambassador the UK and Professor Samar Hasnain, the UK’s representative on the SESAME Council since 2004. 

L-R: Dr Kawal Sawhney (head of the Optics and Metrology group), Professor Samar Hasnain (UK representative on the SESAME Council), Dr Richard Walker (Diamond Technical Director), Professor Sofia Diaz-Moreno (Spectroscopy group leader), Dame Angela McLean (UK government chief scientific adviser), Dr Khaled Toukan (Director of SESAME), Professor Gianluigi Botton (CEO of Diamond Light Source), representative of the Jordan ambassador to the UK, Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn-Smith (former president of SESAME Council), Professor Michael Fitzpatrick (Diamond board member), Professor Sir Mark Walport (foreign secretary and vice president of the Royal Society) Dr Maher Attal (SESAME Technical Director), Dr Adrian Mancuso (Diamond Physical Science Director), Dr Martin Walsh (interim Diamond Life Science Director), Professor Andy Dent, Dr Andrea Lausi (SESAME Science Director)

The visit marked a new phase in the long-standing relationship between the two synchrotron facilities, which share a mission of advancing scientific excellence and fostering cross-border collaboration.  

SESAME, located in Allan, Jordan, is an intergovernmental research centre established under UNESCO and inspired by the cooperative model of CERN. It brings together scientists from across the Middle East and neighbouring regions, serving as a scientific hub of shared research. 

Dr Khaled Toukan, Professor Samar Hasnain, Gianluigi Botton and Dame Angela McLean

The UK has been involved with SESAME since its inception, serving as a founding observer nation and offering guidance and expertise throughout the facility’s development over the past two decades. 

During the visit, Diamond confirmed a major technical contribution to SESAME’s next stage of growth: the provision of an in-vacuum undulator, a double crystal monochromator and additional supporting equipment. This donation will enable SESAME to construct a new beamline, significantly expanding its scientific capabilities. 

Professor Dame Angela McLean, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, highlighted the broad benefits of such partnerships. “International collaboration on science facilities like SESAME benefits all members,” she said. “They are hubs for training, technology development and science diplomacy, providing access to capabilities for researchers and innovators that no country could achieve alone.” 

Reflecting on the UK’s long engagement with SESAME, Professor Samar Hasnain, Max Perutz Professor at the University of Liverpool and the UK’s representative on the SESAME Council, said: “The UK has been involved in SESAME since 2001 in its pre-foundation phase. It became one of the early observer countries when SESAME was formally established on 15 April 2004. The UK can be proud of its contributions and can further boost the latest donation of equipment from Diamond by helping to build a macromolecular crystallography facility at SESAME, a field that was pioneered in the UK by Nobel Prize winners Lawrence Bragg, Max Perutz and John Kendrew.” 

Professor Gianluigi Botton, CEO of Diamond Light Source, emphasised the shared ethos of the two institutions. “SESAME and Diamond share a common mission: to use world-class science to bring people together and to address global challenges,” he said. “We are proud to continue building on the UK’s long-standing support for SESAME and to explore new ways of working together to benefit the international scientific community.” 

The hope is that today’s visit will catalyse further collaboration between the facilities, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to supporting scientific partnerships that bridge regions and promote discovery on a global scale.