Former PIER Chair Nick Alston awarded honorary doctorate by ARU

Published: 11 October 2021 at 10:53

On 7 October, Nick Alston CBE, former Chair of PIER, was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of Laws by ARU's Vice Chancellor Roderick Watkins.

The PIER team are delighted for Nick who has dedicated his working life to defence, security, and policing.

Since its inception, Nick has helped to establish PIER’s reputation with criminal justice agencies both in the region and nationally as an organisation committed to the improvement of policing through partnership in applied research. He has been instrumental in cementing PIER’s success and continues to sit on the PIER Advisory Board.

Professor Sam Lundrigan, Director of PIER read Nick’s citation and said:

"His passion for effective partnership working between public sector agencies and the voluntary and third sectors has helped shape policing in the East of England, and through his role as non-executive director at the National Crime Agency, Nick has helped to steer the NCA through austerity and the ever-changing dimensions of national and international crime.

"Nick is an inspirational role model for all our students, particularly those studying in the fields of policing, law and criminology, and we hope that this honorary award will provide further recognition of his outstanding work in our region."

ARU has awarded Nick the highest honour for all that he has done in serving the policing community. Congratulations Nick!