Our portfolio covers two main areas. Excellence in International Science is all about innovation, with the stress on partnership and wealth creation. Understanding Science in Society is about the relevance of science to culture and social well-being. Here are some of our projects.
British Council Armenia has saved a scientific collaboration between Armenian and British archaeologists from collapse - by buying a parawing.
Dr Rog Palmer of Cambridge University is a pioneer in the field of aerial archaeology: by photographing the earth from a height of 200 metres or so, it is possible to see archaeological evidence of human settlement which is not visible at ground level.He had arranged to work with archaeologists from Armenia, a country particularly rich in archaeological remains. .
The plan was to hire an ageing Antonov plane from the Armenian military, but there were no funds for fuel. He approached British Council Armenia, and we agreed to buy the special fuel required, not realising that since the collapse of the Soviet Union it was impossible to find.
Then the idea of buying a parawing arose. Like Carlsson in Astrid Lindgren's stories, this involves strapping a small motor with a propellor on your back, and running fast enough to lift the parachute, and hopefully you, into the air.
In less than two weeks, the team made important discoveries. Armenia has remains of many citadels built in early mediaeval times, and well documented since. But little or nothing was known about how these citadels were kept supplied. The photos taken from the parawing revealed remains of ancient connecting roadways, terraced fields, and farmsteads. In early morning or evening, when the sun is low, features differing by as little as five centimeters from surrounding ground are clearly revealed from the air.
In collaboration with Armenian scientists and agriculturists, we supported a programme to increase milk and meat production in Armenia through the use of more nutritious wild forage for cattle and sheep.
The results of the British Council Armenia and NATO for Peace project of 2003 were presented at the Centre of Ecological Noosphere Studies of the Academy of Sciences at the end of September.
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