Bristol cryptographer awarded international Fellow

A University of Bristol cryptographer has been elected a Fellow of the International Association of Cryptologic Research (IACR), an award that is only given to a select group of cryptographers worldwide. Nigel Smart , Professor of Cryptology in the Department of Computer Science and who leads the University's Academic Centre for Excellence in Cyber Security, has been named a Fellow by the IACR in recognition of his essential contributions to the theory and practice of real world cryptography and outstanding service to the IACR. Professor Smart is only the second UK national to be awarded the Fellowship. The IACR Fellows Program recognises outstanding IACR members for technical and professional contributions that: Advance the science, technology, and practice of cryptology and related fields; Promote the free exchange of ideas and information about cryptology and related fields; Develop and maintain the professional skill and integrity of individuals in the cryptologic community; Advance the standing of the cryptologic community in the wider scientific and technical world and promote fruitful relationships between the IACR and other scientific and technical organisations. Professor Smart is best known for his work on elliptic curve cryptography and pairing-based cryptography, and more recently for developing techniques for computing on encrypted data, such as multi-party computation and fully homomorphic encryption. Professor Smart said: "This is a great honour, especially as it comes from my peers internationally.