I am pleased to welcome those who come from abroad, to exchange ideas and thoughts with a variety of people and across a range of disciplines and institutions. However, at the outset, I must confess to philosophical problems with the internationalising of education that has occurred so rapidly in recent times. It is not possible to read about 'education' without it being prefaced by 'internationalisation' and 'globilisation'. The internationalising of higher education will c ontinue to have far reaching consequences for universities in Australia beyond 2000. Cut-throat global competition is predicted, involving private investors and companies as well as universities.
Big money is involved.
Trade in knowledge and skills will grow exponentially as the pressure on governments to create 'high skill' societies continues to intensify. We in Australia are already at the forefront of this trade. It is true that Australian Universities have been extremely successful in promoting prestigious but portable qualifications. Obviously others have different views, however, I must say that I feel uncomfortable in the role of a 'salesperson' for education. For me, education is not about selling, it is about communicating.