New IRTF Chair Dirk Kutscher: Advancing Global Collaboration and Innovation in Internet Research

This is an edited version of that conversation.

Q: IETF Blog: What motivated you to take on the chair role now?

The IRTF is a truly exceptional organization that plays a crucial role in shaping the evolution of the Internet by exploring new concepts, technologies, and application areas. It offers academic and industry researchers the opportunity to make significant contributions beyond traditional publications – fostering collaborations that develop innovative technologies, prototypes, experimental specifications, and open-source implementations. Drawing on my experience in both academia and industry research, I am committed to advancing research that makes a real difference, and I see the IRTF as the premier global forum for applied networked systems research.

Q: IETF Blog: How does your position at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou): HKUST(GZ) relate to—or inform—your role as IRTF Chair?

HKUST(GZ) is a new type of research university that is questioning traditional forms of academic research and education. It is focused on cutting-edge research with high applicability to societal and industrial challenges. To that end, we emphasize cross-disciplinary research, education, and collaboration to a very high extent. I am personally working with colleagues from fields such as AI, Robotics, Microelectronics, and Fintech – each of which are leading researchers in their respective field.

At HKUST(GZ), we integrate rigorous academic inquiry with impactful real-world applications, a dual approach that I believe is essential for successful Internet research and corresponds to my goals for the IRTF. The notion of international collaborative research for a greater good—the development of the Internet —is also very inspiring to our students, so I am hoping to be able to make contributions to innovating our teaching with my new role, too.

While the IRTF Chair role involves significant responsibility and time, I am deeply grateful for the strong support from HKUST(GZ), which fully values and facilitates my involvement.

Q: IETF Blog: How do you see the IRTF fitting with the work of the IETF, and how might that evolve going forward?

The Internet continues to evolve rapidly, and its development stands to benefit from experimental, long-term research on broader systems issues—areas that extend beyond the immediate scope of the IETF’s standards process. Some proposals, such as network support for machine learning and distributed computing systems, have high potential but cannot be easily decomposed into individual protocol specifications. I am keen to explore how the IRTF can sponsor such research and, in doing so, help define specific work items for the IETF.

Beyond technology development, our understanding of the Internet’s socio-economic impact is evolving. Current IRTF groups like the Decentralization of the Internet Research Group (DINRG) and the Human Rights Protocol Considerations Research Group (HRPCRG) are already addressing these challenges. In the future, I would like to develop methodologies that guide design decisions, ensuring they do not lead to unintended negative consequences.

Furthermore, the IETF community has consistently shown a willingness to question traditional processes and adapt when necessary. I believe the IRTF can serve as a laboratory for innovative methodologies and process improvements – building on efforts by groups such as the Research and Analysis of Standard-Setting Processes Research Group (RASPRG) and the Usable Formal Methods Research Group (UFMRG). Looking ahead, I envision the IRTF expanding its role in developing experimental infrastructure, automated testing frameworks, and AI-assisted protocol development.

Ultimately, my goal is to help the larger IETF community to  recapture the pioneering spirit of the early Internet, fostering fresh enthusiasm for creating next-generation networked systems through facilitating excellent relevant research in the IRTF.

Q: IETF Blog: What are some challenges or opportunities for the IRTF going forward?

Today’s Internet is more than a connectivity platform—it is a critical foundation for business, government, and society. In our dynamic geopolitical landscape. So it is vital to recognize both the immense importance and inherent vulnerabilities of the global Internet infrastructure. While cybersecurity threats, concentrated control, data exploitation and misinformation are significant concerns, overly restrictive or narrowly focused regulatory measures risk stifling innovation and long-term utility.

I believe it is essential to uphold the multi-stakeholder principle, as long-championed by the Internet Society, among others, and to avoid centralized control structures that might lead to politically-driven technical or regulatory changes. My experience with the IRTF and my international career have given me valuable insights into these challenges and the risks posed by problematic governance structures. I look forward to collaborating with the IAB to address these issues and see great potential in expanding the IRTF’s research efforts – particularly by engaging more deeply with economists, legal experts, and policy researchers, as already initiated by the DIN RG.

A key role of the IRTF is to bridge the gap between relevant research communities and the broader Internet development ecosystem. Currently, our constituency is predominantly European and US-centric. One of my goals is to enhance engagement with research communities in Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, India, and Latin America, as well as other underrepresented groups. To that end, I have already launched a campaign involving conference talks and university visits to explain the IRTF’s mission and foster academic involvement. Moving forward, I plan to work closely with colleagues in the Internet Research Steering Group (IRSG) to expand these efforts.

Q: IETF Blog: What are the most important future research topics that the IRTF should address, in your opinion?

In my view, the role of the IRTF Chair is not to dictate research topics but to work collaboratively with the community—especially the IRSG and the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)—to transform promising ideas into actionable research agendas. From my perspective, the key areas for the future development of the Internet include security, networked systems for AI, and enhanced user-centricity.

Security remains a perennial priority. While the IRTF’s Crypto Forum Research Group (CFRG) plays a critical role in developing and evaluating cryptographic building blocks for secure protocols, there is also a growing need for systems-oriented security research. Current challenges—such as the reliance on additional infrastructure to defend against DDoS attacks and the difficulties in establishing secure, direct communication in the Internet of Things – underscore the necessity for a new security architecture that can authenticate every user or device and enable direct confidential communications.

Networked systems for AI represent a rapidly evolving field, where advancements in photonics and data-center technologies create new challenges and opportunities for Internet protocols. This area is particularly compelling for the IRTF as we identify emerging research topics and facilitate large-scale experimental investigations.

Regarding user-centricity, it is important to focus on the genuine needs and interests of end users. The conversation—sparked by RFC8890, "The Internet is for End Users", and discussions in the Decentralization of the Internet Research Group (DINRG)—has moved beyond simplistic views of what it means to be an “end user.” Although the phrase “enshittification of the Internet” has been used to describe growing dissatisfaction with commercial platforms, the underlying challenge is to design systems that empower users and prevent adverse unintended consequences. In this context, the IRTF is well positioned to lead efforts in re-invigorating the Internet as a platform that truly serves its users.