Award of Honorary Fellowship

CIHT awards a small number of Honorary Fellowships which are important in raising the profile of both the profession and CIHT.  The Membership Board has reviewed both the criteria and procedure for the award of Honorary Fellowships.  A revised procedure has now been agreed by the Executive Board to ensure that there is a regular stream of new Fellows added each year.  Members are invited to forward suggestions to their Council member or submit comments to brian.murrell@ciht.org.uk

Scope and Process
The Institution’s Articles of Association give authority to Council to award Honorary Fellowships as follows.

'Honorary Fellows; The grant of Honorary Fellowship shall be conferred on such persons of eminence or distinction who are not members as the Council shall in their absolute discretion think fit'

Honorary Fellowship is the Institution’s most senior grade of Membership – and not to be confused with Honorary Life Membership.  An Honorary Fellow (as opposed to a prize winner) should be prepared to contribute to the work of CIHT – because of status accruing to the Institution from association with their name, or by practical help.

The induction of a steady stream of new Honorary Fellows (one per year) would be a useful ‘profile raiser’ for the profession and would enable numbers of active, younger Honorary Fellows to be increased.  Accordingly Council and Board members will be asked (at their Spring meeting) to provide nominations meeting the following criteria for consideration by Executive Board.  (Executive Board will bring a final nomination to the summer meeting of Council for agreement)

Criteria
The Key Nomination Criteria are that potential recipients should be:

• Of national or, preferably, international importance within highways and transportation, and
   
• Their status should be considered to be 'long lasting' – ie even after their retirement or (possibly) death, their name should have some resonance.
   

In making nominations Members may consider:- 
Will a significant proportion of the membership of CIHT immediately recognise the names of its Honorary Fellows and understand, without explanation, why they received the Honour?
Will the industry remember the Honorary Fellow after he/she has retired or died?
Will association of the name of the Honorary Fellow with CIHT bring benefit (status by association) to CIHT (either in UK or overseas)?
Will the recipient of Honorary Fellowship understand and appreciate the honour being bestowed?

Supporting Information
Among those that might be considered as potential Honorary Fellows are:
Senior business figures – who have innovated, or otherwise significantly changed the way the industry or business, operates, or have taken the lead and become identified with a project of national or international importance. Academics - who have developed new approaches in the industry.
Politicians - who by virtue of their position, have made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the industry, or the environment in which CIHT operates.

The following have been awarded the Institution’s Honorary Fellowship:

The current list of living Honorary Fellows is as follows:

D J Lyons
Sir Alan Bailey
HRH The Princess Royal
The Rt Hon Lord Lucas of Chilworth
The Baroness Lynda Chalker
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
HRH Prince Michael of Kent
Sir Peter Baldwin
Lui Yi Cheng
Zhang Shuhui
Gao Yuan
Mr Roger Coquand
Mr B Borgeson
Mr R De Paepe
Bernard Fauveau
Neil Kinnock

2008 Louise Ellman

2009 Baroness Ros Scott of Needham Market