2023 Conference Program
Day 1 Dinner Reception | October 19, 2023
Thursday
18:30 - 19:00
Pre-dinner reception
19:00 - 19:10
Opening Address:
Nicholas Moore, Chairman, Centre for Independent Studies
19:10 - 21:30
Opening dinner & onstage discussion: Are we in an era of superabundance or existential collapse?
21:30
Post dinner drinks
Day 2 Morning Sessions | October 20, 2023
Friday
08:00 - 08:45
Morning session A: Lessons on school reform: Could charter schools fix Australian education?
Margaret Raymond, Founder and Director, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), Stanford (USA)
Moderator: Glenn Fahey, Education Program Director, Centre for Independent Studies
08:00 - 08:45
Morning Session B: Indigenous affairs
09:00 - 09:10
Welcome by conference chair + housekeeping
09:10 - 09:40
Keynote One: Defence
09:40 - 10:40
Plenary session One: Defence
John Mearsheimer, American Political Scientist (USA)
Peter N Varghese, Chancellor, The University of Queensland
Peter Hartcher, Political and International Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
Moderator: Maxine McKew, Hon Professorial Fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne
10:40 - 11:10
Morning tea
11:10 - 11:40
Keynote Two: Culture
11:40 - 12:40
Plenary session Two: Culture
Joanna Williams, Author: How Woke Won (UK)
Janine Perrett, Journalist and Commentator
Moderator: Peter Kurti, Director – Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society program, Centre for Independent Studies
12:40 - 14:00
Lunch
14:00 - 14:30
Keynote Three: Responsible AI – Ethics, society, and the business case for AI
14:30 - 15:30
Plenary session Three: Ethics, society, and the case for AI
Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist, UNSW AI Institute
Mark Pesce, Futurist, Inventor and Award-Winning Author
Larry Marshall, Former CEO, CSIRO
Lorraine Finlay, Human Rights Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission
Dr Helen Frazer, Clinical Director, St Vincent’s Hospital BreastScreen
Moderator: John Green, Chairman and Author, Pantera Press
15:30 - 18:00
Afternoon tea & leisure
18:00 - 19:00
Pre dinner reception
19:00 - 21:30
Casual dinner and conversation
21:30
Post dinner drinks
Day 3 Morning Sessions | October 21, 2023
Saturday
08:00 - 08:45
Morning session A: ESG
Marian Tupy, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute (USA)
Moderator: Simon Cowan, Research Director, Centre for Independent Studies
08:00 - 08:45
Morning session B: Millennial and Gen Z voting behaviours
Emilie Dye, Advisor, GT Communications
Shaun Ratcliff, Political Scientist, Applied Data Scientist and Survey Researcher
Moderator: Matthew Taylor, Director Intergenerational Program, Centre for Independent Studies
09:00 - 09:10
Welcome address day three + housekeeping
09:10 - 09:40
Keynote Four: Economics
09:40 - 10:40
10:40 - 11:10
Morning tea
11:10 - 11:40
Keynote five: “Housing Policy in Australia”, A discussion of the "Crisis"
11:40 - 12:40
Plenary session five: “Housing Policy in Australia”, A discussion of the “Crisis”
12:40 - 14:30
Lunch
14:30 - 15:00
Keynote six: Why education matters for the wealth of nations
15:00 - 16:00
Plenary session six: Can we still be a clever country after decades of failing school performance
Panellists:
Eric Hanushek – Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution of Stanford University (USA)
Michael Brennan
Moderator: Glenn Fahey, Education Program Director, Centre for Independent Studies
