Royal greeted by robot on visit to new HQ of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

HRH The Duke of Kent was greeted by a robot when he took a tour of the new, high-tech headquarters of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT on Wednesday (December 7).

The Duke, who has been a patron of the professional body for the IT industry since 1979, was greeted by a telepresence robot being controlled remotely by Rashik Parmar MBE, group CEO of BCS, whose face appeared on the screen.

The telepresence robot allows professionals to be 'in a room' with colleagues without being in the same physical location. The human pilot has full control of where the robot goes and can see and hear everything as though they were in the location.

The robot _ thought to be the only one of its kind in Swindon – was – literally – wheeled out to demonstrate how BCS is at the cutting edge of technological advances.

During his tour of the offices – the professional body occupies two floors of 3 Newbridge Square – the Duke was reintroduced to Stephanie Shirley CH – a past BCS President and recipient of the BCS Distinguished Fellowship Award. Dame Stephanie was also awarded the IET’s Mountbatten Medal, presented by The Duke in 1999.

Dame Stephanie said: “It has been an honour to welcome The Duke of Kent today to BCS. As patron of BCS for the past forty years, and in his former role as a BCS President, The Duke has shown a clear commitment to our sector.

“Having spent the best part of seven decades in our industry, I have seen a great deal of positive change. Women are now playing a vital role in all aspects of tech and are making their way in this sector.

"However, women are still under-represented, and more needs to be done to attract and retain them in this fast-growing sector. We’re grateful that The Duke continues to support BCS and our work to create a diverse and exciting IT profession.”

Rashik Parmar MBE, chief executive of BCS, said: “HRH The Duke of Kent has been a long-standing friend and supporter of the power of information technology, watching it transform from a niche interest to something woven into very part of our lives.

"We were delighted to welcome him to our offices, and to restate our message that an ethical, accountable and inclusive IT profession benefits everyone.”

Established in 1957, BCS was granted a royal charter by the Privy Council in 1984 which defines its role in maintaining standards of competence, conduct and ethical practice within the IT profession.

Today, BCS shines a light on big issues such as the persistent gender gap in computing education, the value of professional standards in cyber security, and how tech has a vital role to play in sustainability and the journey to net zero emissions.

The body officially moved from North Star House in Swindon to Newbridge Square in 2020, but Covid restrictions delayed the official opening, which was marked with the unveiling of a digital plaque.

Pictured: HRH The Duke of Kent with Mayank Prakash FBCS, President of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and robot with Rashik Parmar MBE, Group CEO of BCS on screen