The great and the good (generally the same people in higher education) gather at the Universities Australia conference next week to hear from a learned legion of speakers. But while Opposition education spokesperson Tanya Plibersek is on the printed programme education minister Simon Birmingham isn’t.

But no, this is not because government and unis are at no-speaks. UA advises Senator Birmingham is indeed appearing, at 3.30pm next Wednesday, in a session chaired by UA president Margaret Gardner.