Jun Murai, a professor at Keio University in Japan, was honored with the Distinguished Contribution Award at the 2025 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit. This award recognizes his pioneering achievements and lifelong dedication to the development of the global internet.

In a video message, Murai expressed his deep gratitude for the recognition, emphasizing that the honor belongs not only to him but also to the many colleagues and collaborators who have shaped the evolution of the internet. Reflecting on his early research in distributed computing system in the late 1970s and his collaboration with Chinese scholars in the 1980s, Murai highlighted the shared history that has helped shape today’s digital world.

He lauded the WIC as a vital bridge connecting East and West, past and future, and noted that the internet has become essential infrastructure for a new era—driving artificial intelligence and innovation across sectors.

Murai called for collective global efforts to innovate, secure, and sustain the new internet, highlighting the Asia-Pacific region’s dynamic role as a powerful engine for future digital development.