From Collaboration to Empowerment: Science Diplomacy and Capacity Building through Synchrotron Science in Africa

Synchrotron light sources are among the most powerful tools available for advanced scientific research and technological innovation. This high-level event explores how such large-scale infrastructures can serve as platforms for science diplomacy and capacity building in Africa — moving the continent from collaboration to genuine empowerment.

This gathering follows up on the UNESCO Concept Note “Expanding African Access to Synchrotron Light Source: Unlocking Scientific Innovation and Sustainable Development in Africa.” UNESCO is convening a follow-up meeting on Friday, 12 December.

BackgroundLight as an engine for development

By allowing scientists to examine matter at the molecular and atomic levels, synchrotron light sources enable breakthroughs across diverse fields, including health, agriculture, materials science, energy, and environmental studies. Beyond their scientific applications, synchrotrons also serve as engines for sustainable development, innovation ecosystems, and regional cooperation.

They are equally powerful instruments for building scientific capacity, helping researchers develop the advanced experimental and analytical skills needed to address pressing challenges and drive innovation.

Building on the outcomes of the Global Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy (Paris, March 2025), this high-level event will explore how these large-scale scientific infrastructures can act as platforms for science diplomacy — strengthening international collaboration, fostering trust, and promoting shared prosperity through knowledge exchange. It will also highlight the importance of ensuring African leadership and ownership in developing the continent’s first synchrotron facility, supported by global partnerships and capacity-building opportunities.

From collaboration to empowerment: ensuring African leadership and ownership in developing the continent’s first synchrotron facility.

ObjectivesWhat the event sets out to achieve

• 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 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.