Anniversary Web Book
Jun Murai
Chair of AI3 Project
Chair of SOI Asia Project
Vice President, Keio University
We started the planning of Asian Internet Interconnection Initiatives (AI3) Project by WIDE Project and JSAT Corp. in 1995 with the aim of forming a group of researchers to develop leading edge technologies for the Internet. In 2001, we started School on the Internet Asia (SOI Asia) Project to connect research and education in Asia using a satellite unidirectional link as a platform for distance learning. Together, AI3 and SOI Asia form a group of researchers to develop human resource in Asia.
This year, we celebrate ten years of the operation of AI3 and five years of SOI Asia. I believe these projects have achieved success so far. It is a great honor and pride for me to see these achievements, and among then is being the only group in Asia running IPv6 multicast on a satellite unidirectional link. All the success of our group can never be achieved without the efforts and cooperations by the members, so celebrating the 10th anniversary of AI3 and the 5th anniversary of SOI Asia means celebrating the members.
In these partnerships, I believe we have enjoyed not only all the research and education activities but also strong friendships between members of the projects. We come from various cultural backgrounds, yet we feel as if there were no boundaries limiting us from being a group that shares a vision to contribute to the advancement of research and education in Asia. This is our common ground.
The situations and the challenges have changed greatly compared to ten years ago, and so have we. The challenges will surely change in the future. Let's take on the challenges and enjoy them by making more contributions to Asia, and to the world!