Featured speakers

Thomas L. Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New York Times columnist spoke about the economic and social impact of globalization. Friedman has covered issues ranging from the Cold War to the green revolution. He is the author of The World is Flat.

Irshad Manji is a professor of leadership at New York University, where she directs the Moral Courage Project. She is author of the national bestsellers, The Trouble with Islam Today and, most recently, Allah, Liberty & Love.

David Chilton is the author of the bestselling Wealthy Barber books and is the newest dragon on CBC-TV's Dragons' Den. His unique combination of knowledge and humour helps to take the intimidation out of financial planning.

Jim Stanford is an economist with the Canadian Auto Workers, the country's largest private-sector trade union. His address was called Workers and Skills in an Ugly Global Economy: Sorting out Myth from Reality.

The 2012 Higher Education Summit and Premier's Awards ceremony was held at the Sheraton Centre hotel in Toronto. Next year's conference will take place Nov. 17 and 18, 2013, at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.