Symbols of BRAMS Institute

On 17 January 2019, Professor Dr Maia Nadare created the logo for the BRAMS Institute, drawing inspiration from the coat of arms. The arms were officially granted on 27 May 2019. The logo, featuring a colour palette of navy blue and white, is prominently displayed across the Institute's signage, documents, printed materials, promotional items, and online platforms.

BRAMS logo

The BRAMS Institute logo features a shield design that incorporates Borjgali, a diamond, Anglo-Saxon Futhorc runes, Georgian Asomtavruli letters, the title of the Institute, and the year of its establishment. The shield is divided into navy blue and white sections.

Borjgali, an ancient Georgian symbol, represents the sun and is characterised by seven rotating wings. It embodies the concepts of freedom and eternity. Some scholars suggest that the term 'Borjgali' derives from the Megrelian word 'barchkhali', meaning 'bright light' or 'shining brightly'. Others trace its origins to the ancient Megrelian words 'borj' (meaning 'time') and 'gal' (meaning 'pass' or 'flow'), which together signify 'the flow of time'. The Borjgali symbol appears on Georgian ID cards, passports, and driving licences, as well as on the national currency, including Lari banknotes and Tetri coins. Additionally, Borjgali serves as the official mascot of the Georgian rugby team.

Another significant element of the BRAMS Institute logo is a brilliant-cut diamond. Renowned for its exceptional physical properties—such as extreme hardness, thermal conductivity, a wide bandgap, and high optical dispersion—the diamond symbolises intellectual knowledge. It also embodies invincible spiritual power, perfection, and a commitment to exploration, learning, research, and study.

On the left side of the shield, three runes represent the Anglo-Saxon variant of the runic alphabet, Futhorc, which was in use from 400 AD to 1000 AD. The runes include B (beorc – birch), A (ac – oak), and S (sigel – sun), each symbolising one of the three primary countries that the BRAMS Institute studies, researches, and promotes globally: Britain (UK), America (US), and Sakartvelo (Georgia).

On the right side of the shield, three Georgian letters from the Asomtavruli (Mrgvlovani) alphabet are displayed: Ⴁ, Ⴀ, Ⴑ (B, A, S). These letters convey meanings similar to those of the runes on the left. Asomtavruli, meaning 'capital letters', is a unicameral script. The oldest Asomtavruli inscriptions discovered to date are the Bir el Qutt and Bolnisi inscriptions, both dating back to the 5th century AD. The Asomtavruli alphabet is also known as 'Mrgvlovani', meaning 'rounded', due to the smooth and rounded shapes of its letters.