Introduction Perhaps reflecting the diverse, dynamic, and rapidly expanding set of topics within the field ofcomputer networks itself, curricula and teaching practices in our field are also continuously influx – with new topics, new courses, and new approaches to teaching being explored atcolleges and universities around the world. Among the approaches towards networkingcurricula, one finds the more quantitative (electrical engineering) style of teaching networkingversus a more software/algorithmic (computer science) approach, the more "hands-on" lab-based approach versus more traditional in-class lecture-based approach; the bottom-upapproach towards the subject matter versus a top-down approach. New topics, such as peer-to-peer and mobile networking, and increased interest in more established topics, such as security,are further fueling changes to the content of networking courses. And yet, amidst this constantchange and growth, the field of networking is arguably entering “middle age” at forty yearsold, with perhaps a body of “core” topics emerging that many networking educators feel shouldbe mastered by all. The emergence of core networking material is also evidenced by theinclusion of a number of networking topics in the recent IEEE/ACM 2001 ComputingCurricula report [IEEE/ACM 2001].