From the proceedings of the seminar, it was clear that HESA, as a voluntary body representing HEIs, had a lesser role in terms of monitoring the performance of HEIs, since they evince a highly differentiated and diverse institution characterized by different missions, varied social and economic goals and different academic policies. The main concern of HESA was the decline in the funding of HEIs and inadequate income from tuition fees which resulted in an increase of student debt. The fact that R80m was unavailable from NSFAS to assist poor students was a constraint for HEIs. HESA's view on the development of the next generation of academics was that the Department should allocate R150m to HEIs to begin with the project. Inadequate remuneration in the higher education sector was emphasised as a major concern in attracting and retaining specialist staff who were increasingly attracted to the better remuneration offered by the public and private sector.