September 15th, 6:00pm – 7:50pm (PDT)

Video from this session will be streamed online. Check here for your local time.

Overview

The Internet has grown immensely since the creation of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and the introduction of the World Wide Web. It has expanded far beyond its initial conception as a means to connect computers and is now a part of our everyday lives. The Internet has grown with the spread of digital information and common protocols, and advancements in browser technology have allowed for creative presentation and rendering of content.

The Internet was introduced with the mission of “covering the globe”, and has proceeded to do so at a faster pace than initially anticipated. Therefore, “Global Scale Computing” is a very applicable label. There are infinite possibilities in its usage, and the Internet truly enables global communications because it knows no borders.

The purpose of this panel discussion is to reevaluate the rapidly evolving Internet. Let us set aside our preconceived notions and discuss “what we want to do” with this global network, “what it should be used for”, and “what should be done now” in order to achieve these objectives. We would like to crystallize and share a vision with the world so that the Internet can continue to have unlimited potential 25, or even 50, years into the future.

In the first half of the program, we will turn to several children from around the world and have them present their proposals for the future of the Internet. This will serve as a starting point for our discussion on the future of the Internet.

Moderator

• Dr. Hideki Sunahara, Professor, Graduate School of Information Science, NARA Institute of Science and Technology; member of the board of directors of Mozilla Japan

  Hideki Sunahara is a professor in the Graduate School of Information Science of Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan. His research focuses on the Internet, multimedia communication systems, digital libraries, computer architecture, parallel processing, distributed systems, operating systems, and computer networks.

  Hideki Sunahara received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Keio University in 1983 and 1985 respectively. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Keio University in 1989.

  • From 1988 to 1994, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo.
  • From 1994 to 2001, he was an Associate Professor in Information Technology Center, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara.
  • From 2001 to 2005, he was a Professor in Information Technology Center, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara.
  • Since 2002-2003, he was also a Director of Information Technology Center, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara.

  His research focuses on multimedia communication systems, digital libraries, computer architecture, parallel processing, distributed systems, operating systems, and computer networks. Sunahara is a member of ACM, IEEE, Internet Society, JSSST, IPSJ, and IEICE. He is also a board member of WIDE project.

Panelists

• Dr. Vinton Cerf, Vice President & Chief Internet Evangelist, Google Inc.

  Vinton G. Cerf is Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google. He is responsible for identifying new enabling technologies and applications on the Internet and other platforms for the company.

  Widely known as a "Father of the Internet," Vint is the co-designer with Robert Kahn of the TCP/IP protocols and the basic architecture of the Internet. In 1997, President Clinton recognized their work with the U.S. National Medal of Technology. In 2005, Vint and Bob received the highest civilian honor bestowed in the U.S., the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It recognizes the fact that their work on the software code used to transmit data across the Internet has put them "at the forefront of a digital revolution that has transformed global commerce, communication, and entertainment."

  From 1994-2005, Vint served as Senior Vice President at MCI. Prior to that, he was Vice President of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI), and from 1982-86 he served as Vice President of MCI. During his tenure with the U.S. Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) from 1976-1982, Vint played a key role leading the development of Internet and Internet-related data packet and security technologies.

  Since 2000, Vint has served as chairman of the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and he has been a Visiting Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory since 1998. He served as founding president of the Internet Society (ISOC) from 1992-1995 and was on the ISOC board until 2000. Vint is a Fellow of the IEEE, ACM, AAAS, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the International Engineering Consortium, the Computer History Museum and the National Academy of Engineering.

  Vint has received numerous awards and commendations in connection with his work on the Internet, including the Marconi Fellowship, Charles Stark Draper award of the National Academy of Engineering, the Prince of Asturias award for science and technology, the Alexander Graham Bell Award presented by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, the A.M. Turing Award from the Association for Computer Machinery, the Silver Medal of the International Telecommunications Union, and the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal, among many others.

  He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCLA and more than a dozen honorary degrees.

• Dr. Jun Murai, Professor of Faculty of Environment and Information Studies and Vice President at Keio University, Director of WIDE Project, Chair of AI3 Project and Director of SOI Asia Project

  Born in March 1955 in Tokyo. Graduated Keio University in 1979, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, MS for Computer Science from Keio University in 1981, PhD in Computer Science, Keio University, 1987.

  Dr. Murai has been a professor in the Faculty of Environmental Information at Keio University since April 1997 and a vice president of Keio University since May 2005. Dr. Murai was an Executive Director of Keio Research Institute at SFC, Keio University from 1999 to 2005. Dr. Murai has also been one of the advisory members of the IT Strategy Headquarters established in August 2000, and of the Information Security Policy Council established in May 2005, as well as a member of the Science Council of Japan in October 2005.

  He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Advanced Studies with the United Nations University. Dr. Murai also teaches at the Tokyo University of Art and Music, specializing in computer science, computer network and computer communication.

  He has been involved in several technical conferences and committees including:
  • 1992: Chairman of local arrangement group of INET92 in Kobe, Japan
  • 1993-1995: a member of IAB
  • 1996-1997: a member of IAHC
  • 1997-2000: Board of trustee of Internet Society (ISOC)
  • 1998-2003: Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
  • 2000: Program Co-Chair of INET2000
  • 2002: Program Co-Chair of the 2002 Symposium on Applications and the Internet (SAINT)
  • 2004: General Chair of ACM/SIGMOBILE-Mobihoc 2004
  • 2007: General Chair of SIGCOMM 2007

  His recent publications include:
  • "Explorers! of the Wonderful Internet", Tarojirosha Editus Co., Ltd. September 2003
  • "Internet II", Iwanami Publication, July 1998
  • "Internet", Iwanami Publication, November 1995
  • "Evolution and Revolution of the Internet in Japan", Proc. of CyberJapan: Technology, Policy Society Symposium, The Library of Congress, May 1996
  • "Unwired Internet", Impress Holdings, Inc. and Impress Communications Corporation as a supervisor, April 2005

  Dr. Murai has also been honored with:
  • Group Award (USAGI Project: IPv6 implementation and verification project) from the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications on June 1, 2006
  • Group Award (KAME Project) by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, October 2002
  • 2005 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award from the Internet Society on August 16, 2005
  • Personal Award from the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications on October 6, 2004
  • Personal Award from Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry on October 2002
  • Personal Award from Minister for Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications on June 1, 2000.
  • The Best Paper of '90s Award, ISPJ, 2000

• Mitchell Baker, Chair, Mozilla Foundation

  Mitchell Baker is Chair of Mozilla Foundation and Chief Lizard Wrangler for the Mozilla project. She is responsible for organizing a massive, worldwide collective of employees and volunteers who are breathing new life into the Internet by delivering great, user friendly software, such as the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email client.

  Mitchell has been the general manager of the Mozilla project since 1999 and CEO of Mozilla Corporation since 2005. She's been instrumental in everything from the establishment of the Mozilla Foundation in 2003 to the formation of its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Mozilla Corp., in 2005.

  TIME Magazine profiled Mitchell under “Scientists and Thinkers” in its 2005 TIME 100. She has also appeared on “The Charlie Rose Show” and “CNN Global Office” to discuss open source software and the Firefox phenomenon.