From December 23 to 26, 2024, the China Education and Research Network (CERNET) held a commemorative conference in Beijing to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The event honored the significant achievements of CERNET over the past three decades and recognized individuals and institutions that have made notable contributions to its development. Harbin Engineering University (HEU) was awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award for its role in CERNET’s growth. Additionally, LIU Zhenguang, a member of the Information Technology Office at HEU, was recognized as an Advanced Individual for his outstanding contributions to CERNET. HEU’s Vice President, YU Zhiwen, attended the opening ceremony.

The conference brought together experts, scholars, and industry leaders from across China to explore innovations and advancements in education and research networking.

CERNET, established with government funding and overseen by the Ministry of Education, was built and is managed by top universities such as Tsinghua University and Peking University. Over the past 30 years, CERNET has made groundbreaking achievements in network development, evolving from a non-existent entity to a leading force in the industry. It has successfully implemented three generations of network technologies, setting benchmarks for national and international connectivity.

Harbin Engineering University has long prioritized the development of its campus network infrastructure, actively participated in CERNET initiatives, and utilized its high-quality resources to enhance both teaching and research. CERNET is now fully integrated into HEU’s next-generation all-optical Ethernet network system, which includes cross-domain resource access, dedicated links to research databases, and real-source address verification experiments on the CERNET network.

During the conference, university representatives participated in specialized forums covering topics such as IPv6 innovations, network operations management, and wireless campus technologies. They engaged in productive discussions with peers from other institutions, contributing to the advancement of education network systems.

Staff members from HEU’s Information Technology Office also attended the conference.