Zhao Houlin

Former Secretary-General at ITU

Speaker

Zhao Houlin, born in 1950 in Gaoyou, Jiangsu Province, graduated from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (formerly "Nanjing Institute of Posts and Telecommunications") in 1975. Following graduation, he worked at the Design Institute of the former Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. In 1985, he obtained a Master's degree in Telecommunications from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom.

In 1986, Zhao joined the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations. From 1999 to 2006, he served as the Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of ITU, and from 2007 to 2014, he held the position of Deputy Secretary-General of ITU. From 2015 to 2022, he served as the Secretary-General of ITU. In November 2023, Zhao became the Honorary Chairman of the China Institute of Communications.