The AfLS has signed its first partnership document, a Memorandum of Understanding. This is together with LAAAMP. A lamp is of course a light source! So its natural that LAAAMP is an organisation with a basket of major activities that powerfully progress several currently under developed regions towards light source science. Indeed LAAAMP would like to see these regions develop towards establishing their own regional advanced light source facility. LAAAMP has foci on deep training, the production of educational and outreach material, an audit role and other roles related to its goal broadening the footprint of access, usage and full participation in light source based science for all the world, equally. In fact there are many organisations, institutions and individuals that overlap strongly with the African light Source Foundation. The AfLS is a broad inclusive home, uniting many efforts coherently to the goals of the AfLS. LAAAMP straddles many regions beyond Africa, and has important overlaps with the AfLS. In fact, the AfLS and LAAAMP also share some members. The expansion of the LAAAMP abbreviation is the Light sources for Africa, the Americas, Asia and Middle East Project. Its website is linked to the full name just given, and you can browse there and learn more about it. Importantly, LAAAMP is a child of the IUCr, IUPAP and the ISC. This evidences the global nature of Science. Going forward, the AfLS and LAAAMP can jointly seek funding for large scale deep training, in Africa, of especially young emerging scientists, and LAAAMP will manage the training arrangements. The AfLS and LAAMP can jointly strategise on the most effective programmes that should be developed in Africa, and how they should evolve. The goal is also to develop networks of collaboration and excellence, within the entire community, taking the goal of training to full global participation in science, for development, for all.

Please find the full agreement here.