This Universities Australia Higher Education Conference assembles a stellar line-up of speakers on the fundamental value of universities in the age of automation and artificial intelligence.
This year’s theme, Future Fundamentals, will showcase how Australian universities are innovating to prepare students, graduates, teachers and researchers for the machine era.
The 2018 line-up of local and global speakers includes:
- Mr Bruce Reed, Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative
- Professor Genevieve Bell, College of Engineering and Computer Science, ANU
- Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, Chief Scientific Advisor, UK Ministry of Defence, Former Director of the Centre for Translational Data, The University of Sydney
- Dr Alan Finkel AO, Australia’s Chief Scientist
- Senator The Hon Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education & Training
- The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Education and Training
- Professor Margaret Gardner AO, Chair, Universities Australia
- Professor Ian Williamson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor & Dean of Commerce, Victoria Business School, Victoria University, Wellington
- Dame Anne Glover, President-elect of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Universities Australia Chief Executive Belinda Robinson said the 120 speakers will discuss how a changing economy will reshape and reaffirm the fundamental role of our universities.
“With the connected economy creating unprecedented opportunities for start-ups and micro businesses, and as robots start to work side-by-side with humans and do more routine tasks within jobs, universities are re-inventing themselves to equip our people for the future,” she said.
Having the conference in Canberra also contributes to the local ACT economy. More than 1 in 9 Canberrans work or study at a university, one of the highest engagements with universities of any Australian city.
The conference is on today and tomorrow at the National Convention Centre in Canberra.
Media are invited to register. Follow #UAConf2018 for updates on Twitter.
