Professor Washington Yotto Ochieng elected President of the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN)

Professor Washington Yotto Ochieng, CBE, EBS, CEng, FREng, FRIN, FICE, FCIHT, FInstCES, was elected President at the RIN's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 18 June 2024. Professor Ochieng is a serving Trustee and Member of both the Council and Technical Committee of the RIN. 

Having joined the RIN in the 1990s and witness it grow from strength to strength thanks to the efforts of so many including the Executive/Secretariat, Council members and Presidents and the wider membership, Professor Ochieng takes on the mantle of leading the RIN at an exciting time following the release of  the UK Government's Policy Framework for greater PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) resilience. The start of the implementation of the Framework has seen the UK lead the world in establishing a unique and dedicated PNT Office within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). 

Professor Ochieng is particularly excited by the RIN’s mission and vision. The latter is to “unite in one body those interested in navigation, and to advance the art, science and practice of navigation and to promote knowledge in navigation and its associated sciences, including positioning, timing, tracking and conduct of a journey, whether on, in, over or under land, sea, air or space”.

This is translated into the vision “to be an inclusive group of diverse disciplines and people working together for a more navigable world".

“I very much look forward to working with the Trustees, Council, wider membership, and partners in industry, government, non-governmental organisations and the wider public to promote the vast contributions of PNT and related areas including Geospatial Science and Geomatic Engineering, to the world and beyond, capitalising on our established track record in facilitating research, education, innovation and practice”.

“I am particularly keen to ensure that the RIN plays its role in addressing the challenges of our time (encapsulated within the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals) across geography and time, underpinned by a culture of equality, diversity, inclusion, respect, excellence, collaboration, innovation and integrity”.

Professor Ochieng affirms that his Presidency will be anchored on developing talent, capacity building, generating resources, and sustained significant societal impact addressing local, regional and global challenges. Professor Ochieng will challenge each Member of the RIN to identify at least one aspect of the RIN’s work that they will champion in the coming 2 years, taking ownership and demonstrably delivering. 

Professor Ochieng is the Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chair in Positioning and Navigation Systems and Director of the Institute for Security Science and Technology at Imperial College London. He is a Trustee of the Science Museum Group (SMG), Chair of the Science Museum Advisory Board (SMAB), Member of NPL’s Science and Technology Council (STAC) and Scientific Advisor at the DfT and FCDO. He Chairs the Africa Engineers Steering Committee at the Royal Academy of Engineering.

His achievements are highly recognised globally including in his native Kenya as well as in the UK.

In 2022, Professor Ochieng received the honour of Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) from Kenyan President Dr William Ruto for his contributions to Kenya and the world. One of the country’s highest national decorations, the EBS is awarded by the President to public dignitaries, exemplary members of the public service, and other professionals who have provided distinguished service.

In June 2024, His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom bestowed upon Professor Ochieng the National Honour of ‘Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)’ for services to Global Positioning and Navigation Systems. A pioneer of Europe’s satellite-based global positioning and navigation systems, Professor Ochieng’s research covers positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) system design and application on water, land, air and space. His research portfolio also includes infrastructure security and resilience, and user-centric mobility. As well as his research, he also advises the UK government on related policy.


Editor’s note:

About the Royal Institute of Navigation:
The Royal Institute of Navigation is a learned society and a professional body for navigation. The RIN's activities cover the full breadth of navigation and precise timing, spanning land, sea, air and space and includes animal navigation, human cognition, navigable cities and buildings and all domains of the practice of navigation.

Contact information: 
Dr Clare Stead 
comms@rin.org.uk

Released 19 June 2024