Dong Liu

Liu Dong first began to understand the Internet in 1995 when he attended the iNET conference as a representative of the Chinese community. “It felt like a connection of civilizations,” recalled Liu. Hosted by the Internet Society, iNet brought together experts from around the world to discuss the openness, interconnectivity, and collaborative nature of the Internet. “I clearly realized that the Internet could not only connect the entire world but also held immense potential to transform human society and our way of life,” stated Liu. Later in the year, he went on to found the Beijing Internet Institute to help people understand as well as shape the Internet. This impetus led him to engage in long-term collaboration with technical communities and policy teams, dedicated to building an open, interconnected Internet with greater carrying capacity.

Liu is best known for his persistent efforts throughout his thirty-plus-year career to enhance the Internet’s foundational carrying capacity, promoting global connectivity and sustainable development. His contributions include advancing the global large-scale deployment of IPv6, leading to the establishment of the world’s largest IPv6 testing laboratory, launching the world’s first IPv6 public DNS resolver, expanding the “Open Data Space Network,” and conducting research on high-speed network connections supporting AI agents.

“For the average user, the differences brought by IPv6 in daily life might not be noticeably perceptible. Yet its impact is profound and extensive,” Liu remarked. IPv6 enables more mobile devices, smart home appliances, cloud applications, and artificial intelligence services to access the Internet quickly, conveniently, and affordably. “This widespread adoption not only helps bridge the global digital divide but also lays a solid foundation for the sustainable development of the Internet.” Liu’s sole regret is that the IPv6 era did not arrive sooner. He believes this delay has, to some extent, exacerbated the digital divide. Nevertheless, he remains highly enthusiastic about the possibilities of the Internet.

“The Internet has evolved from connecting users and devices to connecting AI agents,” Liu said. “My mission is to continuously reinforce and expand this foundation, eliminate technical barriers, enable more data to flow across the Internet, and allow more people, more devices, and more intelligent agents to connect equally, efficiently, and securely on the same network, thereby driving the overall progress and sustainable development of the global Internet.”