Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith reviews how research facilities like CERN and SESAME foster international cooperation where relations are strained. With today’s complex geopolitics, he stresses the need for scientific collaboration across divides.

Research infrastructures convene international scientists in collaborations that highlight the most cherished values of science diplomacy—building bridges between communities, societies, and nations through scientific cooperation.

The similarities of culture and experience, coupled with a common language and history of scientific achievement in Arab countries, make science diplomacy an obvious strategy for combating regional instability.