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Lankan Prof. on Internet Hall of Fame
View(s):Professor Gihan Dias, a pioneer in the introduction of networking in Sri Lanka, has been selected for induction into the Internet Hall of Fame of the Internet Society, an independent international organisation for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world.
Prof. Dias, who together with his wife , Prof. (Mrs.) Dileeka Dias, was instrumental in taking the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka’s largest selling independent English language newspaper, to the worldwide web back in 1996, is among the 32 internet visionaries and leaders who will be inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame at a ceremony to be held on August 3 in Berlin.
Professor Gihan Dias
The Internet Hall of Fame describes the 32 winners — influential engineers, activists and entrepreneurs – as those who changed history through their vision and determination. The Internet Hall of Fame is an annual awards programme that has been established by the Internet Society to publicly recognise a distinguished and select group of leaders and luminaries who have made significant contributions to the development and advancement of the global open Internet.
Prof. Dias, a computer science and engineering professor at the Moratuwa University, has been recognised for making significant contributions to the global growth and use of the Internet. Prof. Dias was instrumental in setting up and running the academic Internet in Sri Lanka (LEARN), starting with Sri Lanka’s first email system in 1990. He led LEARN from 1993 to 2003.
He was founder and first president of the Lanka Academic Network (LAcNet), a nonprofit, volunteer organisation of Sri Lankan students, teachers and professionals whose primary mission is to enhance educational opportunities in Sri Lanka by increasing the accessibility of information technology to its students.
He earned a B.Sc. in Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and a masters and PhD from the University of California. In addition to being a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Moratuwa, he has served as the CEO of the .LK Domain Registry (the not-for-profit top-level domain registry for Sri Lanka) since its inception in 1990.
He has also assisted a number of Internet service providers in setting up their own networks. In 2003/04 he was a founding Programme Director of the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), the government body responsible for the development of ICT in the country.
The following is a statement issued by the Internet Society in announcing the 32 names:
The Internet Society has announced the names of the 32 individuals who have been selected for induction into the Internet Hall of Fame. Honoured for their groundbreaking contributions to the global Internet, this year’s inductees comprise some of the world’s most influential engineers, activists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. The Internet Hall of Fame celebrates Internet visionaries, innovators, and leaders from around the world who believed in the design and potential of an open Internet and, through their work, helped change the way we live and work today.
The 2013 Internet Hall of Fame inductees are:
Pioneers Circle – Recognising individuals who were instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet:
David Clark, David Farber, Howard Frank, Kanchana Kanchanasut, J.C.R. Licklider (posthumous), Bob Metcalfe, Jun Murai, Kees Neggers, Nii Narku Quaynor, Glenn Ricart, Robert Taylor, Stephen Wolff, Werner Zorn
Innovators – Recognising individuals who made outstanding technological, commercial, or policy advances and helped to expand the Internet’s reach:
Marc Andreessen, John Perry Barlow, Anne-Marie Eklund Löwinder, François Flückiger, Stephen Kent, Henning Schulzrinne, Richard Stallman, Aaron Swartz (posthumous), Jimmy Wales
Global Connectors – Recognizing individuals from around the world who have made significant contributions to the global growth and use of the Internet:
Karen Banks, Gihan Dias, Anriette Esterhuysen, Steven Goldstein, Teus Hagen, Ida Holz, Qiheng Hu, Haruhisa Ishida (posthumous), Barry Leiner (posthumous), George Sadowsky
“This year’s inductees represent a group of people as diverse and dynamic as the Internet itself,” noted Internet Society President and CEO Lynn St. Amour. “As some of the world’s leading thinkers, these individuals have pushed the boundaries of technological and social innovation to connect the world and make it a better place. Whether they were instrumental in the Internet’s early design, expanding its global reach, or creating new innovations, we all benefit today from their dedication and foresight.”
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