ProfPrashant Pillai

.Prof Prashant Pillai MBE, is an award-winning academic leader and visionary who has over 20 years of UK Higher Education experience. He is a globally renowned scholar and outstanding university educator who provides academic direction and leadership to research, business engagement and education within the subject area of computer science at the University of Wolverhampton.

He is currently Associate Dean for Research and Knowledge Exchange and Professor of cyber security for the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He is also the Director of Cyber Quarter - The Midlands Centre for cyber Security.

He was previously Director of the Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute. The Institute comprises of over 10 academic staff and focuses of research in the area of Cyber Security and intelligent and secure cyber physical systems/IoT. Prof Pillai was the interim Head of School of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Wolverhampton in 2020-21. The school comprises of nearly 50 academic member of staff and 10 research staff.

Prof Pillai was previously a Reader in Cyber Security and the Head of the Cyber Research Group at Oxford Brookes University. Prior to that he was Deputy Head of Electrical Engineering at the University of Bradford. He was also the Director of PG Research for over 4 years and oversaw all aspects of the PGR provision for the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics, ranging from strategic planning, policy development, process management, recruitment and marketing, and day-to-day operational and administrative duties.

He has a proven track record in not just guiding innovative strategies and institutional visions but leading from the front in transforming academic departments and research groups. He thrives working across complex organisational landscapes and has a proven history of embedding positive working cultures and empowering individuals to develop leading groups and centres. Prof Pillai has held several senior roles at different organisations and led both teaching and research activities.

Over the years, Prof Pillai has led several national/international research projects in the areas of networking protocols and cyber security. He has been invited for talks at various international conferences and has published 100 papers within peer-reviewed journals and conferences. With educational background in Electronics and IT security and an avid interest in Artificial Intelligence, Prof Pillai has a passion of researching complex issues that lie in the interaction of these areas. His current research interest lies in the application of AI and developing novel security solutions for safety critical systems (like smart grid, autonomous cars, aeronautical systems and robotics).

Prof Pillai has developed innovative education programmes, conducted world-class research, and utilised his enterprising nature and business acumen to facilitate impactful and sustainable change within higher education.

He has led several research projects funded by EU, Innovate UK, ESA, British Council, etc. Prof Pillai has co-edited 4 books and has co-authored 100 peer reviewed papers at leading journals and conferences and 4 book chapters. He was the Associate Editor of IEEE Transaction on Aerospace and Electronic Systems and an Editor of the Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences (JETEAS).

He is the Chair of the IEEE UK and Ireland Blockchain Group and Chair of the Innovation Alliance West Midlands Cyber Working Group.

He was previously Co-Chair of the 5G-Satellite subgroup of the IEEE 5G Technology Roadmap Working Group and founding member of the IEEE special interest group on Big Data for Cyber Security and Privacy.

Prof Pillai is Fellow of British Computer Society, Fellow of Higher Education Academy, Senior Member of IEEE and Member of IET.

Prof Pillai was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to cyber security and education.

Prof Pillai was selected as one of the “75 at 75” Achievers in the category “Education, Science and Innovation” at the 2023 India UK Achievers honours.