Setting the scene with two themes ?? an overview of global trends and some perspectives about online delivery by foreign providers ?? adapting to local markets.
Standout session, for me, of the conference ?? brilliant overview of the ??big picture?? that has provided a reference point for nearly all the other presentations. Ron??s presentation was a fast-paced overview of what??s happening across the world, supported by data, and more data and more data??!

Notes from Ron Perkinson??s address??
Six converging forces of change in higher education at the moment..
– explosion of knowledge
– globalization
– competition
– internationalization
– ICTs
– Sourcing alternative funding
Key issue for education ?? exponential growth in demand and enrolments, but huge gap between this demand and the drop in expenditure from government sources.
Globally, Higher education is a FAILURE! Private higher education has now become a dominant payer in the education marketplace.
Largest growth area in tertiary is South East Asia
Distance education is the fastest growing sub=-sector of education in the world today
BUT ?? eLearning is still in its infancy ?? immature market, need for content customistation and low social/cultural confidence.(esp in developing countries)
Beginning to see development of ??For Profit?? entities ?? more attractive to private investors
Private sector wants governments to put in rigorous regulatory standards ?? this levels the playing field
Statistically, the private sector is getting approx 35% better results over the public sector in terms of retention and completion of courses.
Challenges:
– pre-derterminates of success of eLearning in developing countries:
o fitting and blending to local policy
o rigor and accuracy of local data and information
o revelvance of programmes to local context
o ICT infrastructure
??Does a forum exist to look at the setting of minimum standards for trans-national education??