John Dawkins was Australia's most influential higher education minister. He turned colleges into universities, free education into HECS, elite education into mass education, a local focus into an international outlook, vice - chancellors into CEOs, and most academics into both teachers and researchers.<br/>The publication of this volume marks the twenty - fifth anniversary of the revolution that John Dawkins started, creating what became known as the Unified National System of higher education. While John Dawkins' reforms were and often remain controversial, they have had a lasting impact on the shape of university education in Australia.<br/>This edited collection of research papers, histories and personal accounts from key players analyses the antecedents, details and legacy of this remarkable period in higher education policy in Australia.