Cybersecurity experts, IT professionals, and representatives of scientific institutions from Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East met on January 29, 2026 at the American University of Beirut − Mediterraneo (AUB Mediterraneo) campus in Paphos. Having taken place in Cyprus during the semester of the Republic of Cyprus’ rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the workshop contributed to ongoing efforts to strengthen digital resilience, cybersecurity cooperation, and trusted research infrastructures.
The event was designed as a focused platform to exchange experience on preventive and protective cybersecurity controls, compare institutional strategies adopted across different light sources, and discuss emerging cyberthreats and future risks affecting open scientific environments.
The workshop was hosted by AUB Mediterraneo in Paphos and was financially supported by the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus foundation. SESAME warmly thanks AUB Mediterraneo for its generous hospitality and for having provided an excellent academic setting that fostered open dialogue and collaboration.
The workshop is a key outcome of the partnership between DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron) and SESAME for the development of a resilient cybersecurity infrastructure at SESAME, supported by a grant from the W.E. Heraeus foundation.
Ali Al-Zoubi, Head of Corporate IT at the Diamond Light Source, highlighted the collaborative spirit of the event, stating that “the open and collaborative nature of the organisers was a catalyst for frank and open discussions about the cybersecurity risks we all share”. Patrick Fuhrmann, senior expert from DESY and member of the organising committee, added: “As a participant in this cybersecurity workshop, I am once again impressed by the vision and professionalism of the SESAME team. The workshop clearly showed that SESAME is not only strengthening its own capabilities, but is steadily evolving into a future cybersecurity competence center for the entire region.”
The SESAME–AUB workshop underlined the role of research and academic institutions as trusted platforms for dialogue, capacity building, and cooperation, at the intersection of science, digital security, and international collaboration. The words of Stefan Lüders, CERN Computer Security Officer and Head of Computer Security at CERN, emphasised the broader significance of the event: “with this workshop, the SESAME light source provided once more a peaceful beacon for international research and collaboration in today's demanding geopolitical chaos. Congratulations!”
