Keynote

The first segment of the summit will focus on what makes universities effective agents of change. It will set out the validity and agency of universities as institutions that not only analyse the past and understand the present, but actively shape the future.

We will begin by asking what the future is going to demand from higher education. Xing Qu, deputy director-general of Unesco, will reflect on this question. The future of Asia-Pacific education will depend on how well its almost 50 nations and states bridge some of the world’s biggest gaps – in income, public health, education and digital access. Students and parents are increasingly demanding that higher education be delivered with greater equality, and result in better real-life outcomes such as gainful employment.