On 12 December 2025, UNESCO hosted a high-level event at its headquarters in Paris titled “From collaboration to empowerment: Science diplomacy and capacity building through synchrotron science in Africa”, bringing together representatives from governments, international organisations, research infrastructures and the scientific community to discuss pathways toward strengthening synchrotron science on the African continent.

The event underscored the transformative role of synchrotron facilities in addressing global challenges across sectors such as health, agriculture, energy, materials science and environmental research. Participants highlighted how access to advanced research infrastructures is essential for fostering scientific excellence, innovation and sustainable development, while also serving as powerful platforms for science diplomacy and international cooperation.

Discussions focused on strategies to enhance African research capacity, including training, mobility and long-term institutional partnerships. Particular attention was given to intermediate and collaborative solutions that can support African scientists in the absence of a regional synchrotron facility, such as access to existing international infrastructures and the development of dedicated beamlines.

A key moment of the event was the highlighting of the SUNSTONE project, underscoring its role in strengthening SESAME’s scientific capabilities and expanding capacity-building and training opportunities for researchers, including those from Africa. The initiative was presented as a concrete example of how international and EU-supported collaboration can contribute to science diplomacy, regional cooperation and the development of sustainable synchrotron research communities.

By showcasing initiatives such as SUNSTONE, the UNESCO event reinforced the importance of inclusive, collaborative approaches to large-scale research infrastructures and demonstrated how targeted support can help empower emerging scientific communities while advancing shared global goals.

For more information and to explore the full programme of the event, you can consult UNESCO’s dedicated event webpage or check the toolkit available also on the African Lightsource website here.