For two weeks in July, two members of SESAME staff came to CERN and ESRF to learn skills needed to run an institutional communications office. Heba Abu Rizeq is SESAME’s web and database developer, and Rawan Ramadan an administrative officer tasked with developing SESAME’s communications.

Heba began her stay at CERN with the laboratory’s web team of Sotirios Boutas, Patrick Gröger and Kostas Platis. She then went on to follow a two-day course on the Drupal web content management system, before going on to further develop her newly-learned skills with the web team. She also spent time in the laboratory’s IT department, where she met Valerie Huret, Eduardo Fernandez and Pedro Ferreira to learn about databases and the Indico meeting management tool. “It was very useful, I learned many things that will help me in my work,” she said. And the best part of visiting CERN? “We toured the ATLAS experiment, it is an amazing place! I would like to thank everyone at CERN for the time they spent with me.”

Rawan Ramadan’s main communications task in 2019 is to develop a strategic communications plan for SESAME to deploy in 2020. Her training programme at ESRF was designed to give her experience of working in the communications team of a light source laboratory. It began with a discussion with Delphine Chenevier, ESRF’s Head of Communications, on strategic communications planning, before moving into operational aspects including web, social media, media relations and internal communications with Delphine Chenevier, Montserrat Capellas and Kirstin Colvin. Education and outreach were covered by Yannick Lacaze. “Communications is increasingly important for SESAME now the laboratory is operational,” said Rawan. “I’d like to thank everyone I worked with there for the time and effort they put in to teaching me the principles, tips and strategies needed to be successful in communications.”

Heba Abu Rizeq and Rawan Ramadan at ESRF with members of the ESRF communications team and SESAME Administrative Director, Walid Zidan.

Left to right: Walid Zidan, Kirstin Colvin, Heba Abu Rizeq, Rawan Ramadan, Montserrat Capellas.