About LAAAMP

The LAAAMP initiative was founded in 2016 by Sekazi K. Mtingwa, Sandro Scandolo and Michele Zema thanks to a grant awarded by the International Science Council (ISC) through the ISC Grants Programme to the joint IUPAP-IUCr project entitled "Utilisation of Light Source and Crystallographic Sciences to Facilitate the Enhancement of Knowledge and Improve the Economic and Social Conditions in Targeted Regions of the World". In 2020, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) joined the Internatinal Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) as a lead institution of LAAAMP. 

Aim of LAAAMP is to promote Advanced Light Source-related science in targeted regions of the world, and focus on training young researchers, reaching out to professionals, and engaging the public and governmental officials in discussion about the role that AdLSs could play to improve their countries’ educational institutions, economies, social structures, health and world competitiveness.
LAAAMP also acts as a facilitator for the establishment of new synchrotron facilities (e.g., African Light Source, Greater Caribbean Light Source, Central Asia Synchrotron) and in-house laboratories aimed at growing the communities of users of future synchrotrons (e.g., X-TechLab, Benin; crXstal, Jamaica). 

The project originally targeted Africa, the Americas (particularly, Mexico and the Caribbean) and the Middle East, and was eventually expanded to Central and Southeast Asia, South America and the Pacific Islands. In 2020, the Executive Committee of LAAAMP welcomed two new members: Özgül Öztürk and Marielle Y. Agbahoungbata. In 2024, the IUCr appointed Graciela Diaz de Delgado as their representative in the project, succeeding M. Zema who had completed his duties at the IUCr after the suppression of the IUCr Executive Outreach Officer position in May 2024.  

Read more about the project in the ISC News: LAAAMP – Advanced Light Sources for Sustainable Development.