At a high-level event on 28 November, the Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron, confirmed a major technical contribution to SESAME’s next phase of development, thereby building on the UK’s long-standing partnership with SESAME and further strengthening collaboration between the two synchrotron laboratories.
The UK has been a founding observer country since SESAME’s inception, working alongside other observer nations. Over the last two decades, it has played an active role in supporting SESAME’s development, providing both guidance and technical expertise.
Held on Diamond’s premises in Oxfordshire, SESAME’s delegation at the event was led by its Director, Professor Khaled Toukan. Also participating were Professor Dame Angela McLean, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser; Professor Sir lan Chapman, CEO of the UK Research and Innovation; Professor Sir Mark Walport, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society and former UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor; Professor Rolf Heuer, President of the SESAME Council; Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn-Smith, past President of the SESAME Council; and Mr. Faris Khreis, Third Secretary at Jordan’s Embassy to the UK. The event was hosted by Professor Gianluigi Botton, CEO of the Diamond Light Source, and by Professor Samar Hasnain, the UK’s representative on the SESAME Council.
During the event, Diamond confirmed that it will provide SESAME with an in-vacuum undulator, and a double-crystal monochromator. This contribution will make it possible for SESAME to expand its suite of beamlines, thus increasing its scientific research and strengthening its role as a regional and international centre for advanced research.
It marks an important moment in the relationship between the UK and SESAME, whose support has been pivotal since the project’s earliest years.
Professor Khaled Toukan welcomed the announcement, emphasising its significance for SESAME’s future capabilities.
“Diamond’s technical contribution comes at a strategic moment for SESAME,” he said. “New beamlines will enhance our ability to serve researchers across the region and will further strengthen our mission of using science as a bridge between cultures. We are deeply grateful for the UK’s continued partnership and long-standing commitment to SESAME’s success.”
Professor Dame Angela McLean underlined the wider value of such collaborations.
“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 that no country could achieve alone.”
Reflecting on the UK’s two decades of engagement, Professor Samar Hasnain highlighted the enduring importance of the partnership.
“The UK can be proud of its contributions to SESAME and can further enhance the latest donation by supporting the development of a macromolecular crystallography facility at SESAME—a field pioneered in the UK by Nobel Prize winners Lawrence Bragg, Max Perutz and John Kendrew,” he said.
Professor Gianluigi Botton viewed this as a new opening for collaboration with SESAME, saying: “SESAME and Diamond share a common mission: to use world-class science to bring people together and to address global challenges. 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 event is expected to reinforce yet further Diamond/SESAME cooperation and the UK’s role in SESAME.
