The Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) has been running annual conferences since 1975, with attendance comprising building educators and representatives from industry and professional associations throughout Australia/NZ and the wider region. Past conferences have welcomed delegates from countries outside Australasia, including the USA, UK Japan and other parts of Asia.

The principal aim of AUBEA is to promote and improve teaching and research in building through communication and collaboration. It also aims to coordinate efforts to market the discipline of building to prospective students, research partners and clients.

Conference topics include: construction management, quantity surveying, construction economics and value management, building science and technology, building services, materials, building control, building surveying, property economics, project management and facilities management.

In 2006, the scope of the conference has deliberately been widened to include themes relating to property and land economics. This reflects the fact that the host in 2006 is the School of the Built Environment and includes property specialists as well as construction, project management and construction economics staff. Similar school structures now exist in other institutions and this reflects the blurring of the boundaries between disciplines and the increasing overlap between the various disciplines in the built environment. Accordingly, individuals are invited to submit papers for the 2006 conference that cover the broader range of built environment disciplines.

AUBEA 2006 is offering to sponsor two delegates from developing countries in the region to attend the conference next July. The sponsored delegates will be selected by the Conference Committee based on abstracts submitted as part of the usual call for papers . Anyone wishing to be considered for a sponsored place should attach a letter to their abstract with some personal details such as place of work, position held and so on, and their reasons for wanting to come to AUBEA - be sure to provide sufficient information for the committee to make an informed decision when selecting those who will receive sponsorship. At this stage sponsorship will include at least free registration and attendance at all conference sessions and activities - we hope to be able provide assistance with accommodation and subsistence but that is still being negotiated. Note that abstracts are due by 1 December. See Call For Papers for full details.