Qidi Zhao is a digital governance researcher and policy practitioner focused on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), data governance, and AI regulation. With experience spanning Africa, Asia, and global multilateral forums, Qidi’s work bridges technical innovation and public policy to advance inclusive and rights-based digital transformation.

Qidi is currently a fellow in the Internet Society’s fellowship program, where they lead initiatives on secure data exchange, ethical procurement of digital systems, and cross-regional knowledge sharing. They were invited to attend RightsCon Taipei, the Africa IGF, and the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF), contributing to global dialogues on digital inclusion, infrastructure resilience, and technology governance.

Qidi holds a Master of Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and conducts research in the field of China’s generative AI regulations, with additional work on smart cities, platform governance, and digital sovereignty. They have also translated key Chinese-language policy and technical documents to support international understanding of China’s digital governance model. Qidi is passionate about building transparent, interoperable systems that promote public trust and digital rights.