Whistleblower Edward Snowden to headline 2019 Higher Education Summit
(TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2019) – Edward Snowden – whose new memoir, “Permanent Record,” is an international bestseller – will be the keynote speaker at the 2019 Higher Education Summit in Toronto on Monday, Dec. 2.
Via a video connection from Russia, Snowden and onstage moderator Peter Mansbridge will discuss how hidden and unaccountable global surveillance is an escalating threat to free societies. The conversation takes place at about 1:15 p.m. at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.
Other featured speakers at the two-day conference include Harvard professor Steven Pinker, author of the New York Times bestseller, “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress,” Toronto Star national affairs columnist Chantal Hébert and renowned Canadian celebrity Jann Arden.
The Higher Education Summit, run by Colleges Ontario, is one of North America’s premier conferences on post-secondary education. This year’s conference runs Sunday, Dec. 1, and Monday, Dec. 2.
About 800 delegates attend the annual conference and the Premier’s Awards gala for outstanding college graduates on Monday evening. In addition to the featured speakers, the conference agenda has in-depth sessions on top issues, including an examination of Ontario’s transition to performance-based funding in post-secondary education.
The conference is open to the media. All sessions take place at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel at 123 Queen Street West.
Highlights:
Sunday, Dec. 1
1:15 p.m. – Musician, comedian and bestselling author Jann Arden will share her personal journey, explaining the importance of adaptability and finding good — and even funny — things in even the most difficult situations.
2:15 p.m. – Toronto Star columnist Chantal Hébert will discuss the federal election and what the results mean for federal-provincial relations and the country’s future.
3:45 p.m. – Experts will look at blockchain’s potential in post-secondary education.
Monday, Dec. 2
8:15 a.m. – Harvard professor Steven Pinker, author of the New York Times bestseller, “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress,” will describe his theory that the world is improving and can continue to improve.
10:45 a.m. – A discussion of Tennessee’s experience implementing outcomes-based funding for post-secondary education and the implications for Ontario and other jurisdictions.
1:15 p.m. – Edward Snowden, former intelligence officer and whistleblower, talks about the escalating threats to privacy and security in this age of hidden and unaccountable global surveillance.
6:15 p.m. – Annual Premier’s Awards gala for outstanding Ontario college graduates. Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano will help present this year’s awards.
Dates: Dec. 1 and 2, 2019
Location: Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
123 Queen Street West
Toronto
The full agenda for the Higher Education can be found at http://highereducationsummit.ca/
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For more information:
Rob Savage
Senior Director of Communications
Colleges Ontario
647-258-7687
savage@collegesontario.org