The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) of Trieste, in Italy, is a world-leading centre where scientists coming from developing countries can study, research and contribute to the development of their home countries. ICTP shows how, by offering to researchers from the global South access to the same resources and opportunities enjoyed by their colleagues in wealthier countries, it is possible to advance scientific expertise and fight the brain drain from the developing world