Lord McCluskey visits Armenia to promote
2008 Fellowship Programme
On 12th September 2007 Lord McCluskey travelled to Armenia's capital Yerevan to promote the work of the John Smith Memorial Trust and to encourage applications for the 2008 Fellowship Programme. One feature of the visit was the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the opening of the British Council office in Armenia, an event that Lord McCluskey attended in 2002. H.M. Ambassador (H.E. Anthony Cantor) and the Foreign Office of the Republic of Armenia gave a reception in honour of the event, which a number of Fellows attended.
Mariam Movsisyan (British Council) addresses the audience at the 'Education Fair'
Lord McCluskey and Mariam Movsisyan of the British Council spoke at an “Education Fair”, designed to encourage potential candidates to apply for the 2008 John Smith Memorial Trust Fellowship Programme or for a Chevening Scholarship. These events were well reported on TV.
L-R: 2004 Fellow Hayk Martirosyan, David Harutyunyan, Lord McCluskey
Photo courtesy of Hayk Martirosyan
Lord McCluskey met Hovhannes Manoukian, Chief Justice of Armenia, the Ombudsman (Armen Harutyunyan), the Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on State and Legal Affairs (David Harutyunyan) and Vigen Sargsyan, a senior adviser to the President, to discuss further cooperation in developing the Armenian Justice system, particularly in relation to the training of judges and the ways of providing access to human rights remedies. 2004 Fellow Hayk Martirosyan was particularly helpful in setting up the necessary meetings.
Lord McCluskey meets David Harutyunyan, Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on State and Legal Affairs
Photo courtesy of Hayk Martirosyan
All Fellows who were available joined Lord McCluskey for dinner; and in the course of the visit, at this and other events, he met all the Fellows currently in Yerevan. He also attended a meeting of the British Alumni Association, which is currently going through considerable changes: he encouraged John Smith Fellows to play a more active role in this organisation, particularly when it was reorganised in the autumn.
Hovhannes Manoukian, Chief Justice of Armenia
Photo courtesy of Hayk Martirosyan
Lord McCluskey hopes to return next year in connection with the judges training programme. He is looking forward to seeing the results of the continuing rapid re-development of the centre of Yerevan.
Lord McCluskey presents 2004 Fellow Maria Sadoyan with a silver
lapel badge signifying participation in the John Smith Fellowship Programme
The John Smith Memorial Trust would like to thank the British Council and its John Smith Fellows in Armenia for all their help in the organisation of this successful visit.