The proposition of Going Global 2012 is that education can change the future of the world: it has the ability to shape and connect the lives of its citizens. But to do this would require us all to radically re-think the nature of our universities and colleges. In the 21st-century world, the population will soon reach seven billion. Yet our current systems and institutions, born of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, only directly reach a small minority of the population.

Without a very different vision for the future, large parts of global society will be excluded from the benefits afforded to a highly educated and skilled population. If education is to change and shape the future, how radical must this vision be? Are traditional institutions equipped to create this new reality, or does it call for freer and much more dynamic thinking? How can we move from vision to reality?

Going Global 2012 has three central themes: "the future world", "the connected world", and "winners and losers". Under each of these, a number of questions are posed. All speakers, presenters, and papers are being asked to address one or more of the above-listed questions.

Please note that the deadline for full-session and paper-presentation proposals has passed; however, there is still an opportunity to submit a proposal for a poster presentation. Please submit your proposal by 16 December 2011. Going Global welcomes unique perspectives from all areas of international education.

Registration for Going Global 2012 in London opens on 14 November 2011, with early bird rates available until 16 December 2011. Registrations will close on 24 February 2012. The cost of registration will depend on the conference pass selected. This event is geared at those involved in the further or higher-education sector, government, corporations, representative bodies, NGOs, development-assistance organisations, and the media.

Volunteers are essential to help Going Global 2012 run smoothly. This is an excellent opportunity to attend a conference with policy makers and practitioners. Volunteers will work during conference breaks and a minimum of three hours per day during session times. Volunteers are free to attend sessions when they are not scheduled to work.