For the last 25 years, Jianping Wu has helped facilitate the design and development of CERNET, China’s Internet backbone and largest academic network. A 2017 inductee into the Internet Hall of Fame, he is currently a professor and chairman of the Department of Computer Science at Tsinghua University, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Although he has been a leading advocate for Chinese participation in global Internet development efforts, the continued expansion and popularity of online applications continues to catch him off guard, especially eCommerce tools.
“So many surprise applications have happened,” he said in a recent video interview. “Twenty years ago or even 10 years ago, you’d never think this would happen. I can give you an example – so many people don’t bring cash or credit cards to pay. They just use cell phones to pay. It’s very convenient and very useful but you’d never think about this happening before.”
