Opening ceremony of SESAME

16 May, 2017

 

© SESAME: HM King Abdullah II unveiling a plaque marking the opening of SESAME
© SESAME: HM King Abdullah II unveiling a plaque marking the opening of SESAME
© SESAME: Some of the participants with in front row HM King Abdullah II flanked by (left) the President of the Council and the Director of SESAME and (right) the Prime Minister of Jordan
© SESAME: Some of the participants with in front row HM King Abdullah II flanked by (left) the President of the Council and the Director of SESAME and (right) the Prime Minister of Jordan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© SESAME: HM King Abdullah II with the President of the Council, heads of the Delegations of the SESAME Members, the SESAME Directorate, the Directors-General of CERN, the IAEA and UNESCO, and the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation
© SESAME: HM King Abdullah II with the President of the Council, heads of the Delegations of the SESAME Members, the SESAME Directorate, the Directors-General of CERN, the IAEA and UNESCO, and the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation

 

© Joe Niemela/ICTP-UNESCO: The President of the Council explaining the model of the SESAME accelerator with (on his right) the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation and HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan (front)
© Joe Niemela/ICTP-UNESCO: The President of the Council explaining the model of the SESAME accelerator with (on his right) the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation and HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan (front)
© SESAME: SESAME milestones 2003-2017
© SESAME: SESAME milestones 2003-2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SESAME light source was officially opened by His Majesty King Abdullah II on 16 May.

His Majesty was welcomed by the President of the SESAME Council, Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, and the President Elect, Professor Rolf Heuer, both former Directors General of CERN, the Director, Professor Khaled Toukan, H.R.H. Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, the Prime Minister of Jordan, H.E. Mr Hani Al-Mulki, and the Administrative Director, Professor Yasser Khalil.

The King unveiled a plaque marking the official opening of the laboratory and visited the experimental hall.

The programme of the ceremony consisted of a statement by the President of the Council on behalf of all the Members of SESAME and words of thanks by the Director for the help provided by the King, and the Royal Court and Government of Jordan. There were also statements by the Heads of the Delegations of the SESAME Members, the Directors-General of CERN, the IAEA and UNESCO, and the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, as well as by the Heads of two Observer countries, namely Germany, which had donated the BESSY I machine to SESAME thanks to which the project started, and Italy, which had provided substantial funding. The staff representative and the Chair of the SESAME Users’ Committee (SUC) informed participants what SESAME meant to them.

A short film introduced by the President in his statement traced the history of SESAME and gave potential users of the SESAME Members the opportunity to state why SESAME was so important for scientists in the region. It acknowledged the work of the SESAME staff and that of the past and current Directors, as well as the support provided by numerous synchrotron radiation laboratories elsewhere.

Further acknowledgement of the work of all those who had made SESAME possible and the support provided by the Members and many external supporters was given in a Souvenir Brochure specially prepared for the event. The Brochure also describes some of the science that SESAME will enable.

During his closing remarks the President of the Council presented the Director General of CERN with the model SESAME magnet that the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation and the then Director General of CERN had presented to the Director of SESAME and himself during their visit to SESAME in April 2015. This model was to remain at SESAME until delivery of the magnetic system of SESAME’s storage ring constructed under the leadership of CERN with support from SESAME and European Commission funding, after which it was to return to CERN as a reminder of CERN’s important contribution to the system. The Director General of CERN in turn then handed the model over to the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation suggesting that it could be the first piece of a new accelerator in Brussels!

The official part of the ceremony was followed by a reception and tours round the experimental hall.

Among the 300-odd participants present at the Opening Ceremony were high-level officials from the SESAME Members and Observers, the Directors-General of CERN, the IAEA and UNESCO, the EC Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, members of the Royal Court and Government of Jordan, Ambassadors, members of SESAME’s Advisory Committees, the Directors of numerous synchrotron radiation facilities, many scientists, friends and sponsors of SESAME, and staff members of the Centre.

A press release was issued after the ceremony. A video of the official part of the ceremony may be viewed from here.

 

Programme of the Opening Ceremony

Souvenir Brochure

Statement by the President of the SESAME Council, Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith

Short film

Words of thanks by the Director of SESAME, Professor Khaled Toukan

Statement by the Jordanian Delegation, Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the El Hassan Science City and the Royal Scientific Society

Statement by the Cypriot Delegation, Mr George Georghiou, Permanent Secretary of the Directorate General for European Programmes, Coordination and Development

Statement by the Egyptian Delegation, Professor Mahmoud M. Sakr, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology

Statement by the Iranian Delegation, H.E. Mr Mujtaba Ferdousi Pour, Ambassador to Jordan

Statement by the Israeli Delegation, Mr Peretz Vazan, Director General of the Ministry of Science and Technology

Statement by the Pakistani Delegation, Mr Muhammad Naeem, Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

Statement by the Turkish Delegation, Mr Zafer Alper, President of the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority

Statement by the German Delegation, H.E. Ms Birgitta Maria Siefker-Eberle, Ambassador to Jordan

Statement by the Italian Delegation, Mr Vito De Filippo, Undersecretary of State for Education, University and Research

Statement by the SESAME staff representative, Mr Thaer Abu-Hanieh

Statement by the Chair of the SESAME Users’ Committee (SUC), Dr Özgül Ozturk (Turkey)

Statement by the Director General of CERN, Professor Fabiola Gianotti

European Commissioner for Research, Science & Innovation, Dr Carlos Moedas

Statement by the Director-General of IAEA, Mr Yukiya Amano

Statement by the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova

Closing remarks, Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, President of the SESAME Council

Press release

Video on official part of the ceremony