Congratulations to Alastair Revell, Immediate Past President, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, who has received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Plymouth.
This honour recognises Alastair’s outstanding contribution to computer science education and the IT profession, reflecting his long-standing commitment to professional standards, ethics, and the advancement of technology for society’s benefit.
On receiving the award, Alastair said:
‘It is a tremendous honour to be recognised by the University of Plymouth for advocating for the value of chartered professionals working across technology and digital roles. More than this, the award is an endorsement of the work of so many people across the BCS community to promote the importance of being professionally registered and signing our code of conduct.
In the wake of Horizon, increasing cyber attacks and the rise of AI, we know society expects technology practitioners to be proudly accountable to these standards, because so much of modern life now depends on them.’
In a celebratory LinkedIn post, Alastair added:
‘I have been hugely honoured by the University of Plymouth, which has awarded me an honorary doctorate of science for making an “outstanding contribution to Computer Science Education and the IT profession”... I am passionate about professionalism in IT and have always aimed to improve it. I have been lucky enough to hold positions of influence that have allowed me to have impact. I currently sit on the boards of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, the UK Engineering Council and The Institution of Analysts and Programmers, which puts me at the heart of the professional body space for those in IT, digital and computing.
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‘Last year, I was the 64th President of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. My presidential theme for my year in office was focused on chartered and professional registrations, which coincided with the 40th Anniversary of the Institute receiving its Royal Charter. The anniversary provided the impetus to refocus attention on the importance of chartered and professional registrations in the IT, digital and computing sectors. A recent survey showed that the public see this as important too: “85% of respondents agreed that IT professionals working on systems that affect the public should be required to join a public register and follow an independent code of conduct, like doctors or lawyers.”
‘A lasting legacy of my presidency is the annual national awareness campaign ‘Chartered Week’, which celebrates and promotes the importance of chartered and professional registration across all disciplines, not just my own.’ Chartered Week 2026 will take place from the 23rd-27th February.
Alastair offered his congratulations to Matthew Lowsley, this year’s winner of the Revell Research Systems Prize, an annual undergraduate prize established at the University of Plymouth in 2006 which recognises the top graduating computing student, and Matteo La Barbera EngTech TMIET, the winner of the Institution of Analysts and Programmers prize for the Best Software Project.
He also offered congratulations to the other honorary graduates Paul Barnard, Professor Marie Edmonds, Caroline Norbury OBE, Professor Dame Judith Petts DBE, and Professor Emily Spearman CEng FEI FWES, and extended particular thanks to the University of Plymouth’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Davies, for the University's hospitality and to Professor Bogdan Ghita. Presenting him for the conferment of the degree.
Please join us in congratulating Alastair on this well deserved recognition, and in celebrating the shared commitment across our community to professionalism, accountability, and trust in IT.
