Balqa, Oct. 30 (Petra)-- The role of science in a world increasingly shaped by conflict, technological rivalry and deepening political divisions was at the heart of an international symposium held at the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) in Allan, Jordan, on 28 October 2026. Bringing together senior scientific leaders, diplomats, policymakers and researchers from across the region and beyond, the symposium examined how major research and technology infrastructures can advance international cooperation, strengthen scientific capacity and contribute to peacebuilding.

Opening the symposium, Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society (RSS), called for a renewed commitment to the humanitarian purpose of science and technology. Her address, entitled "The Illuminating Hope of Science Diplomacy", placed SESAME at the centre of a wider reflection on the responsibilities that accompany scientific progress, particularly in a region confronting profound human suffering.

Princess Sumaya began by inviting participants to observe a moment of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the tragic events in Al Karak and in solidarity with their bereaved families. Reflecting on the human cost of violence, she posed a question that framed the central message of her address: "Do we use them to protect life and serve the common good, or do we allow them to become instruments of destruction?" She described SESAME as a remarkable achievement for Jordan, the region and the international scientific community, and as a practical demonstration of science diplomacy in action. Jordan, she said, had provided the facility with a place of stability and sanctuary where scientists could work together across geographical and political divides in pursuit of knowledge and the common good.

"SESAME is our lighthouse, our beacon of hope and our tower of sanity," Princess Sumaya said, stressing the importance of ensuring that this shared scientific endeavour does not become an isolated example of cooperation in an increasingly divided world.

Her address also confronted the consequences of scientific and technological advances being used without adequate regard for human dignity. Princess Sumaya warned that technologies capable of addressing some of humanity’s most urgent challenges, from water scarcity and climate change to healthcare and the preservation of cultural heritage, could instead be used to deepen division and facilitate destruction. She challenged the scientific and diplomatic communities to engage honestly with these realities and to ensure that scientific knowledge serves humanity.

The symposium, entitled "The Role of Research and Technology Infrastructures in Science Diplomacy", was organised by the European Commission in cooperation with SESAME, UNESCO and the Union for the Mediterranean.

The opening session featured Khaled Toukan, Director of SESAME; H.E. Azmi Mahafzah, Minister of Education and Human Resources Development of Jordan; Amal Kasry, Chief of Section for Basic Sciences, Engineering, Technology and Innovation at UNESCO; and Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, Ambassador of the European Union to Jordan, alongside Princess Sumaya. The session was moderated by Gihan Kamel, Principal Scientist of SESAME’s IR Beamline.

As Director of SESAME, Professor Toukan has played a central role in the development of this landmark regional scientific facility, which brings together researchers from across the Middle East and beyond. SESAME represents a distinctive achievement in international scientific cooperation, providing a shared research environment in which scientists can work together across national and political boundaries. His contribution to the symposium underscored the importance of sustaining SESAME as a platform for scientific excellence, international cooperation and dialogue across borders.

The opening keynote was delivered by Maria Cristina Russo, Deputy Director-General for Innovation, Prosperity and International Cooperation at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Her contribution set the stage for discussions on how research infrastructures can support international partnerships and scientific collaboration at a time of growing geopolitical fragmentation.

The first session, "Science Diplomacy in a Fragmented World", brought together Atish Dabholkar, Director of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP); Robbert Dijkgraaf, President of the International Science Council; Karen Hallberg, Secretary-General of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs; and Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry, Co-chair of the PRIMA Foundation and former President of the Euro-Mediterranean University, alongside other international representatives. The discussion explored the role of scientific engagement in sustaining dialogue and cooperation despite political tensions.

Subsequent keynote contributions examined the role of research and technology infrastructures in science diplomacy, with perspectives from Professor Zehra Sayers of Sabancı University in Türkiye, Maria Cristina Russo and Petra Kežman, Deputy Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean. Rolf-Dieter Heuer, President of the SESAME Council, delivered a keynote entitled "CERN and SESAME as Lighthouses of Science Diplomacy", highlighting the significance of major scientific facilities as spaces for international engagement.

A further session examined research infrastructures as instruments of international cooperation and peacebuilding, with contributions from Tareq Abu Hamed, Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies; Kherieh Rassas, President of the Union of Mediterranean Universities; and Najat Aoun Saliba of the American University of Beirut and a member of the Lebanese Parliament. Participants considered the potential for shared scientific work to create practical channels of engagement across political and national boundaries.

The programme also addressed the contribution of research infrastructures to competitiveness and emerging technology ecosystems. Speakers included Nisreen Al-Hmoud, Director of the Bio-Safety and Bio-Security Centre at the Royal Scientific Society, alongside experts in international trade, research partnerships, science diplomacy and innovation from the region and Europe. A reflection on quantum research considered how technology infrastructures can support the development of emerging scientific capabilities.

An important part of the symposium was dedicated to young researchers presenting examples of their work at SESAME. Their contributions demonstrated the facility’s role in scientific training, international collaboration and the development of the next generation of researchers. The session brought together researchers from SESAME and institutions in Türkiye, Cyprus, Italy and Palestine, among others, highlighting the breadth of scientific engagement supported by the facility.

The programme concluded with a discussion of possible futures for SESAME, bringing together representatives of international research facilities and scientific organisations, including the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the African Light Source Foundation and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. The session considered the opportunities and challenges involved in sustaining and expanding the role of major research infrastructures in international scientific cooperation.

The symposium reinforced the importance of sustained international cooperation in scientific research and of research infrastructures as places where expertise, resources and people can come together across borders. For Jordan, SESAME stands as a distinctive expression of that commitment: a regional scientific achievement rooted in partnership and directed towards the advancement of knowledge.

Princess Sumaya’s address offered a clear challenge to the international scientific community: scientific excellence must be accompanied by a sense of shared responsibility for how knowledge and technology are used. As SESAME continues to connect researchers and institutions across the region and internationally, its significance lies not only in the science it enables, but also in the possibility it represents: that collaboration, dialogue and a commitment to the common good can endure even in the most difficult circumstances.

//Petra// MF