Arms and the Public Diplomat: British Council and the British Aerospace Scandal

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As we write regularly on public diplomacy, we noted the latest entry by our colleague Ali Fisher on his Wandren PD site. As BAE Systems (British Aerospace) faces prosecution over bribery allegations and the prospect of the largest financial punishment in British history, Fisher notes:

The British Council has been running programmes in partnership with BAE Systems for almost 20 years. Although the allegations of corruption are unproven, they may still undermine the British Council’s commitment to increase international understanding and bridge trust gaps in order to create harmony and prosperity for all.

Partnerships with BAE have included the Post-doctoral Summer Research (PDSR) Programme in Saudi Arabia. The British Council website acknowledges that The programme is supported by BAE Systems, the major British company with overall responsibility for the Al-Yamamah programme. The Programme has been sponsored from its inception in 1991 by BAE Systems and administered by the British Council.

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