THE future of universities in the 21st Century will be discussed by some of the world's leading experts in a conference in the North-East today.

The International Symposium on the Future of Universities, at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle, will attract experts from all over the world.

One area of discussion will be how major universities can help regenerate the economies of regions like the North-East through their cutting edge research, technology and teaching of high-tech skills.

Other topics include tuition fees, the expansion of higher education and how modern communication systems, such as the Internet, can be used to teach students over long distances