Prof. Roy Beck Barkai has been appointed a member of the Israeli delegation on the Council of the Sesame Project

Prof. Roy Beck Barkai, of the Condensed Matter Department in the School of Physics and Astronomy, has been appointed a member of the Israeli delegation on the Council of the Sesame Project, the Middle East synchrotron light source.

SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) is a "third-generation" synchrotron light source that was officially opened in Allan (Jordan) on 16 May 2017. It is the Middle East's first major international research centre.

SESAME will both:

• Foster scientific and technological excellence in the Middle East and neighbouring countries (and prevent or reverse the brain drain) by enabling world-class scientific research in subjects ranging from biology, archaeology and medical sciences through basic properties of materials science, physics, chemistry, and life sciences; and 

• Build scientific and cultural bridges between diverse societies, and contribute to a culture of peace through international cooperation in science.