Emerging Trends, Challenges, and Solutions. Tertiary education finance has become an issue of increasing global concern. Because higher education is an engine of development, who pays for higher education plays a role in determining the economic, social, and political health of nations and societies.
Higher education has broad social consequences and benefits.
Throughout the conference, this sentiment was choed as participants engaged in substantive dialogue about common issues and concerns about financing tertiary education. In a variety of mediums ranging from large group discussions to informal smaller group settings, the participants analyzed the many challenges present in financing higher education and considered possible solutions. These discussions were shaped by topical presentations from participants from Colombia, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, Russia, and The Netherlands. The structure of the conference was highly collaborative, with presenters involved in the discussions as well as serving as guiding experts. This format allowed participants from a variety of backgrounds to meet and discuss larger issues of higher education accessibility.