HERDSA Conference 2018: [RE]VALUING HIGHER EDUCATION

The theme for the conference is (Re)Valuing Higher Education. Higher education has undergone dramatic change in the last decade with an international agenda to open universities to a broader range of individuals while requiring researchers to focus on priorities set by government.

The sector is forced to continue to grapple with restrained budgets, increased student numbers, greater student diversity and government agendas requiring preparation of students for work and lifelong learning. It also faces an increasingly under resourced and corporatized and complex research environment.

Within this context we wish to consider what the value of higher education has become. By (Re)Valuing Higher Education we are revisiting the purpose and scope of what being a ‘university’ means as well as considering what differentiates ‘higher’ learning from other forms of post-secondary education.

We have identified areas and points of interest relevant to (Re)Valuing Higher Education as captured within our sub-themes. You are however, encouraged to interpret the themes as it best suits your own institutional or national context.

There are many diverse and wide-ranging perspectives from which to approach the notion of (Re)Valuing Higher Education. We welcome contributions that reflect the diversity of participants in higher education including private and non-university higher education providers, the vocational education and training sector, educators, researchers and students, administrators and policy makers, government, community and industry partners, and our culturally diverse communities. We also welcome international delegates who can provide insights into the value of higher education from other contexts and cultures.

Join us for HERDSA 2018, to share ideas and network with colleagues, forge new collaborations and gain new insights into the value of higher education as well as to enjoy the many attractions that Adelaide and its surrounds have to offer.