Professor James Davenport from the Department of Computer Science has received a Cyber Security Fulbright Award to enable him to research at New York University on one of the world’s most prestigious scholarship programmes.

Professor Davenport will work with world-famous cryptographers at New York University focusing on how credit card data are stored.

Professor Davenport said: “This is a very exciting opportunity. The credit card industry evolved to where it is before modern techniques in cryptography were invented, and have believed for some time that there were better ways of doing things, notably storing credit card data. This scholarship both allows me to research the mathematics in conjunction with the NYU experts, and to discuss its practicality with the industry.

“As part of the Fulbright programme objectives, I’ll also be absorbing the culture and history of New York and the wider United States.”

Professor Eamonn O’Neill, Head of the Department of Computer Science said: “Cyber Security is a very high-profile subject these days, but Professor Davenport has been working in it for over thirty years, and this award should enable him to conduct further fundamental research and come back capable of enriching our teaching and the University’s wider perspective on Cyber Security.

Penny Egan, Executive Director, US-UK Fulbright Commission said: “I know our 2016 cohort will do us great credit during their time in the US and beyond. Only exceptional scholars and students win Fulbright awards: one of the world’s most competitive merit-based international scholarships. In the 70th year of the Special Relationship, we are proud to send the best of British academia to the US.”

The US-UK Fulbright Commission is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship programme, offering awards for study or research in any field, at any accredited US or UK university. The Commission is part of the Fulbright programme conceived by Senator J William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange.

The Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards the Commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.

82 per cent of computer science research from the University of Bath was judged to be internationally excellent by the in the recent independently-assessed Research Excellence Framework 2014.