Identity, control and changing reality

“You can find equally good reasons on both sides of any argument, the only wise course is to stop thinking and judge by appearances” (Fernandez-Armesto 1998). The current climate of technological change promises to have significant impact on many aspects of work, society and higher education. In relation to higher education, such claims are commonly associated with speculation about the survival of universities as we know them. Some projections sound wild and some well founded. It can be hard to delineate the two. It is clear that professional life has changed since the days when a career was for a lifetime and skills required would not alter significantly in that period. It is also clear that society is feeling the effects of technology in ways that take many people beyond the limits of their comfort zone. From the perspective of the audience at this conference, the impact on higher education is obvious, though the magnitude and direction of future change remain