Elettra and IAEA sign a scientific collaboration agreement at the Ministry of Education (Press review)

A collaboration agreement between the Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste research centre and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was signed yesterday in the presence of the Minister for Education, University, and Research (MIUR) Maria Chiara Carrozza, the President of Elettra Carlo Rizzuto, and the General Director of IAEA Yukiya Amano. The agreement establishes that researchers from IAEA member states can access the facilities of the centre, specialized in the production of synchrotron light and in its use for materials analysis. 


The goal of the agreement is to promote quality and competitiveness in the scientific communities of the member countries, in the field of materials science, and in research on environmental and health issues, with a particular focus on emerging countries. Within this framework, researchers from emerging countries will enjoy an easier access to X-ray fluorescence techniques using synchrotron light, which can provide information on the chemical composition of materials, with applications in the protection of cultural heritage and environmental fields.

The agreement is part of a consolidated collaboration partnership between Elettra and IAEA: as early as 2005, the Trieste-based centre was selected as one of IAEA’s “Collaborating Centres”, with the task of supporting the Agency’s activities in its efforts to disseminate technical and scientific culture and to promote training and the building of international research networks.

The signing of the document in the presence of the Minister for Research is a watershed moment in the process that aims to encourage scientific cooperation as a way to promote peace. In fact, it takes place just a few weeks after the announcement that – thanks to INFN and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and € 1 million in funds from MIUR – Italy has joined the team building Sesame, the first synchrotron light “super-microscope” in the Middle East, currently under construction in Jordan.

 

Last Updated on Monday, 28 October 2013 17:06