The major part of the conference program revolves around six thematic panels held over two days. In each session key thinkers and commentators including academics, university leaders, politicians, and other tertiary education experts have been asked to reflect upon their knowledge and experience, to consider the issues of today and project into the future.

Speakers include key actors in higher education over the past twenty years and the latest generation questioning higher education today and tomorrow. There will be controversy! Expect genuine and heated debate between speakers and with the audience, with plenty of time for questions and comment.

The six themes are:

1. University funding – public good/private good – what/who is being funded? – post secondary/tertiary/higher education funding models – financial sustainability – private sector contributions to education – fundraising/philanthropy  - tension between social policy and budget – student contribution models- advocacy for sector funding – research funding – base funding - ERA
   
   
2. Regulation and Governance – governing universities in whose interest - the entrepreneurial university – corporatisation – collegiality – transparency and accountability- types of university and HEPs – private and public and in between - Higher Education/TAFE/tertiary education system - TEQSA
   
   
3. Students – who are the students of today and tomorrow – on and off shore - is the customer always right? – student rights and consumer advocacy – student costs – pedagogy - student evaluation of teaching - international students  – national and international student mobility – commercialisation of student experience - what is taught and what is learned – delivery modes – challenges of diversity – outcomes of massification – quality - managing risk – communication technology –– Bologna & other models
   
   
4. The Public Intellectual – the getting of wisdom – rights and responsibilities of public engagement – dissenting thoughts – defending unpopular /hard to defend views – risk management for universities – intellectual freedom – whistle blowing – research and dissemination – role of universities in creating new knowledge – solving wicked problems
   
   
5. The 21^st century university employee -– Who is a higher education/tertiary education worker? – Workers of the Education Revolution? - university/higher education professionals – professionalising general staff – what has changed for academics - 40-40-20 is this a realistic academic workload split? – employment modes and workforce planning – rise of the entrepreneurial academic –– sustaining workforce – where and how do people work - sustaining universities edifices financially & environmentally
   
   
6. International context – Australia and the region – and the world – rankings – global markets - funding and delivery models – Bologna - research – knowledge exchange – international public good – staff and student mobility

Two other features will be:

• Opening address on universities, knowledge and knowing
• Debate on Is the idea of the university dead?