The second edition of the INFN–SESAME Efficient Scientific Computing International School (ESC@SESAME) officially opened yesterday at SESAME, bringing together 20 students from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan and Palestine, who joined this international initiative to strengthen their skills in advanced computational methods and data-driven research. The programme is led by a distinguished team of lecturers from INFN, the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics, and CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, two of Europe’s foremost scientific research institutions. The school is funded by ASREN (Arabic States Research and Education Network), INFN, JNC (Jordanian National Committee for SESAME) and SESAME.
The opening session included a welcome address by Mustafa Alzu’bi, Head of the Data Collection and Analysis Group at SESAME, who encouraged the participants to view the school as an investment in their professional growth. He emphasised that ESC@SESAME represents a unique opportunity to learn directly from highly-experienced trainers and to engage with them throughout the week. This was followed by the opening address of Yousef Torman, General Director of ASREN, who highlighted the long-standing collaboration between SESAME and ASREN across several EU-funded projects, underlining the strategic importance of advanced computing skills for education, research, and innovation in the region.
It’s “Science connecting people through education, to build peace” said lecturer Francesco Giacomini, setting the tone and marking the start of the school.
The ESC School, created by INFN, has a long-standing tradition in Italy and is returning for the second time to the Middle East where it is being organized in cooperation with SESAME. Directed since the beginning by Mauro Morandin, it focuses on the next frontiers of efficient computing, combining theoretical foundations with hands-on sessions designed to address contemporary challenges in scientific and high-performance computing.
The school is being held at SESAME in Allan, Jordan, an international research centre established under the auspices of UNESCO to advance scientific excellence and regional cooperation. SESAME is widely recognised as a flagship of science diplomacy, enabling its Members to pursue world-class research through shared, state-of-the-art infrastructure. INFN has been a long-standing partner, contributing scientific expertise, technological support, and specialist personnel from the early phases of SESAME’s development, reflecting its sustained commitment to international collaboration and capacity building for large-scale research infrastructures.
SESAME contact:
Mustafa Alzubi (Mustafa.alzubi@sesame.org.jo)
ESC School contact:
Organizational Committee (esc_school@lists.infn.it)
Website: https://esc.infn.it