IOM3 Fellow awarded CBE in New Year Honours
Professor Richard A. Williams OBE FREng CEng FIMMM has been appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE).
Professor Williams, Heriot-Watt University’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, was awarded the CBE by King Charles III for services to education, engineering, and entrepreneurship in the New Year Honours List published on 30 December 2024.
He said, 'I am honoured to receive this recognition, which is also built on the achievements of colleagues, students, external partners, and the goodwill and prayers of so many across our remarkable Heriot-Watt community. It celebrates the distinctive and purposeful approach we have in supporting inclusive and accessible education and our impact on the wider economy in Scotland and beyond. Engineering skills and transition of ideas into practice are critical to new business creation and to assure our future societal sustainability, especially in the areas of critical minerals and energy storage technologies.'
Professor Williams was appointed Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt in 2015 leading the advancement of the University across its bases in Scotland, UAE and Malaysia. He is a graduate of Imperial College (BSc (Eng), PhD) and has held posts at University of Manchester, University of Exeter (Camborne School of Mines) and as Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leeds and at the University of Birmingham.
Alongside his role as Principal and Vice-Chancellor at Heriot-Watt University, Professor Williams has undertaken several roles including acting as Trustee and Vice President of The Royal Academy of Engineering and Trustee/Director of The Scottish Institute for Enterprise, The Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation, The Carnegie Trust for Scottish Universities and mentoring African engineering student start-ups. He is an Advisor to the Scottish Universities’ student entrepreneurial consortium ‘Converge’, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and to UAE-UK Business Council. He is a Board Member of Scottish Enterprise and recipient of the President’s Medal from Royal Academy of Engineering for his services to Engineering. He is an Honorary Fellow of The Manufacturing Technology Centre, and an academician of The Royal Society Edinburgh, The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and The Royal Academy of Engineering.
The New Year Honours List recognises the exceptional achievements of people across the country and those who have shown the highest commitment to selflessness and compassion.
