Inaugural Globalization of Higher Education Conference to Address Critical Issues of Affordability and Accessibility

DALLAS, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former Governors Jeb Bush and Jim Hunt will co-host the Globalization of Higher Education Conference (www.globalizationofhighereducation.com) to call attention to two of the primary challenges facing higher education in the U.S. and around the world: affordability and accessibility. Governor Bush and Governor Hunt will welcome globally recognized academic, economic, and political leaders to the March 24-25 event.

"The changes that are taking place in higher education today are unprecedented in both their reach and rapidity, thanks in great part to the power of technology. At the same time, people across America remain rightly concerned about the critical issues of affordability and accessibility in higher education," said Governor Bush. "I believe one of the solutions to making college more affordable is to find new ways to attract students from around the world to our great universities. The Globalization of Higher Education Conference has been convened to bring together internationally recognized thought leaders to discuss these critical issues." View Governor Bush's video about the conference here.

Governor Hunt noted, "This first-of-its-kind event provides us with an opportunity to collectively consider the emerging circumstances that will soon change how post-secondary institutions view the world. We will also consider the ways we can dramatically expand access to higher education—and the opportunities that result from it—for the benefit of both the institutions themselves and citizens everywhere."

The conference, presented by Academic Partnerships (www.academicpartnerships.com) and Queens' College, University of Cambridge, will convene global university leaders with thought leaders from academia, government, and international organizations. Speakers at the two-day conference include some of the world's foremost experts on globalization and higher education (speaker list follows).

According to former World Bank President Robert Zoellick, a scheduled speaker at the conference, "There is a huge interest in the schools to skills to work transition. Higher education will be a key part of this equation.  And while higher education faces some challenges, it also holds tremendous opportunity. I believe we'll see transformation in the field of higher education in the coming years, driven partly by technology, but also by questions of affordability, the needs of students and their families and by the societies as a whole. I'm looking forward to the conference and to sharing what I've learned in the fields of development and education."  View Robert Zoellick's video about the conference here. 

About Academic Partnerships
Academic Partnerships (AP) assists universities in converting their traditional degree programs and certificates into an online format, recruits qualified students, and supports enrolled students through graduation. Serving public and private not-for-profit universities in the United States and top international institutions, AP is guided by the principle that the opportunities presented through distance learning make higher education more accessible and achievable for students in the United States and around the world. The company was founded by social entrepreneur Randy Best, an 18-year veteran of developing innovative learning solutions to improve education. For more information, please visit www.academicpartnerships.com.

Conference Speakers

Martin Bean
Vice Chancellor of The Open University

Jeb Bush
Former Governor of Florida

Dr. Clayton Christensen
Harvard Business School professor and eminent expert on disruptive innovation

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Former Secretary of State and Former U.S. Senator from New York

Sir John Daniel
Former CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning and world-renowned expert in distance learning

Arne Duncan
U.S. Secretary of Education

Lord Eatwell
President of Queens' College, University of Cambridge

Thomas Friedman
Bestselling author and New York Times columnist

Jim Hunt
Former Governor of North Carolina

Scott Jaschik
Founder and Editor of Inside Higher Ed

Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor
Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of South Africa

Alvaro Uribe
Former President of Colombia

Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic
Consultant to UNESCO and the U.S. Council for Higher Education Accreditation

John Wilton
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, University of California at Berkeley

Dr. Fareed Zakaria
CNN Host and TIME magazine editor-at-large

Robert Zoellick
Former President of the World Bank

Contacts:
Jaquelyn M. Scharnick, Academic Partnerships
+1.866.939.6323
[email protected]

Chris Wailes, Pierpont Communications
+1.713.627.2223
[email protected]

Multimedia Assets:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhhTS65nuEA&feature=youtu.be
Video – Former Governor Jeb Bush discusses The Globalization of Higher Education Conference he is co-hosting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLnM2mkrqYs
Video – Former World Bank President Robert Zoellick discusses his participation in The Globalization of Higher Education Conference.

SOURCE Academic Partnerships