From collaboration to empowerment: Science diplomacy and capacity building through synchrotron science in Africa
Background
Synchrotron light sources are among the most powerful tools available for advanced scientific research and technological innovation. By allowing scientists to examine matter at the molecular and atomic levels, they enable breakthroughs across diverse fields, including health, agriculture, materials science, energy, and environmental studies. Through their diverse scientific applications and collaborative essence, synchrotrons serve as engines for sustainable development research, innovation ecosystems, and regional cooperation.
They are also powerful instruments for building scientific capacity, helping researchers develop advanced experimental and analytical skills needed to address pressing challenges and drive innovation.
Building on the outcomes of the UNESCO Global Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy (Paris, March 2025), UNESCO will convene a high-level event to explore how these large-scale scientific infrastructures can act as platforms for science diplomacy by strengthening international collaboration, fostering trust, and promoting shared prosperity through knowledge exchange.
The event will highlight the importance of ensuring African leadership and ownership in developing the continent’s first synchrotron facility and explore global partnership and capacity-building opportunities.
Objectives
- Showcase the role of synchrotron science as a driver of innovation, sustainable development, and diplomacy.
- Explore pathways toward the establishment of Africa’s first regional synchrotron facility.
- Discuss interim strategies, including the development of an African-dedicated beamline at the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME).
- Discuss the opportunities to enhance the scientific and technical capacities of African researchers and institutions through training, mobility, and participation in synchrotron based research.
- Strengthen regional and global partnerships to support African synchrotron and related capacity-building initiatives.
