A sign of success at any conference is the production of materials which are useful resources after the conference is over. By that measure, the 2017 Unimutual Conference in Melbourne, was a significant success. At this link you will find copies of the presentations by conference speakers, who have generously allowed their work to be reproduced on our website, to be used as resources by the Members.

The conference materials include information on a wide range of topics which you would expect from our annual conference. Insurance topics which can serve as useful references in areas of management liability, reinsurance broking and global insurance losses. There are also Presentations University emerging risks such as student sexual assault and harassment, which comes straight from today’s headlines. These are issues which every university risk, insurance and finance person is examining at this time.

You will further note, however, that many of the attached presentations were designed to focus on the conference theme, “University Research Risk”. In those presentations you will explore the diverse innovation and rich areas of investigation where universities are working to create better futures for Australia and the world. For example there are presentations on cognitive learning in children, new materials to improve road safety and the promise of artificial intelligence in transportation.  While interesting in themselves, these presentations are glimpses of our future, which are being created today in the labs of Unimutual Member institutions.  It is not only universities which are busily crafting this future as you will also see presentations about non-university Member medical research institutes, who are also working toward the elimination of illness and better futures for all.

As university sector staff we are aware of the heritage of our sector and the institutions where we contribute through our work in insurance, risk and governance. Our sector has been around for thousands of years, and has played many roles in their societies’ over this time. Over the years they’ve evolved from learning institutions for the elite to the almost universal education powerhouses of today, changing the futures of millions of students over the centuries.

However, as the conference illustrated, there are other future-building aspects to the university community, where the Mutual is also playing an active role. These activities are less apparent to the casual observer as they often occur behind closed doors. It is the role of university research and its efforts to change the future lives of millions in Australia and globally. University research is the place where much of the future is created. This includes not only the university-trained individuals who will introduce the next waves of technology, medical breakthroughs and life-changing innovation, but also the laboratories, benchtops, whiteboards and workshops where these breakthroughs will be conceived, born, fostered and developed.  This is the exciting, future-creating activity taking place on all Member campuses, often behind the scenes. The role of the Mutual is to support and assist these researchers and foster this activity, as they go about creating this future, for the benefit of all.

We hope you find these resources useful and look forward to working with you in the future.

Please click here for all conference materials.