The European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Meir Gougen-Quinn, said: "We are very pleased to team up with CERN to support one of the most exciting scientific projects in the Middle East"
The European Commission and CERN agreed today to support the construction of SESAME, one of the most ambitious research facilities in the Middle East. SESAME is a so-called synchrotron light source, which actually works like a giant microscope. It will allow researchers from the region to study the properties of advanced materials, biological processes and items of cultural value. SESAME is a unique joint venture located in Jordan and brings together scientists from among its members: Iran, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, Cyprus, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey. Alongside its scientific goals, the project aims to promote peace in the region through scientific cooperation.
The European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Meir Gougen-Quinn, said: "We are very pleased to team up with CERN to support one of the most exciting scientific projects in the Middle East. The SESAME facility will not only make the most sophisticated facilities available to researchers from the region, but will draw attention to the great strides of progress that can be achieved in the region thanks to peace-seeking cooperation."
The CEO of CERN, Rolf Heuer, said: "SESAME is one of the most important projects in the world today. In light of the similarities between it and CERN at the beginning of its existence, I am very happy that we are able to make this important contribution to the success of the young laboratory."
As part of the agreement announced today, the European Commission will contribute 5 million euros, which will enable CERN, working with SESAME, to supply magnets for a brand new electron storage ring - which is the heart of the facility. This will pave the way for the start of operation of SESAME in 2015.
According to the director of SESAME, Prof. Khaled Tukan: "The construction of SESAME is progressing well, and we now want the scientific program to start as soon as possible. The very welcome assistance of CERN, with the generous support of the European Union, will make this possible."
The European Commission has already contributed more than 5 million euros to the project through the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument, and by supporting SESAME's networking, computing and data processing systems.
background
Construction of SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) began in 2003. Like CERN, SESAME was established under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). A key factor that pushed the launch of SESAME was the donation of components from the BESSY laboratory in Berlin. Since then, an expanding community of local scientists has been working closely with partner facilities around the world, and several additional laboratories have contributed to making SESAME a world-class facility.
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. Its headquarters are in Geneva. Its member countries today are: Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Holland, Hungary, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Finland, France, Sweden, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Romania is a candidate for accession. Israel and Serbia are union members in the pre-membership phase. Observers include India, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO.
