Asiacrypt 2025 (Melbourne, Australia), by Xiaohui Ding
This past December, I was honoured to attend Asiacrypt 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. As one of the three flagship conferences organized by the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR), the event serves as a top venue for peer-reviewing and showcasing the most significant advancements in the field of cryptography. The 2025 program featured a rigorous selection of papers, with a notable emphasis on lattice-based cryptography, symmetric encryption, advanced cryptography, etc. Beyond theoretical perspective, the conference also highlighted various practical applications, including secure messaging and real-world implementations. After a 21-hour journey, I landed in Melbourne. I’ve always felt a deep connection to this city because I completed my master's at Monash University - also one of the event organizers, yet I had never actually been to Australia. Due to the pandemic, my studies were entirely remote. It took three years after my graduation, but I finally mad...