23 June 1997 Sarawak leader honoured by Lincoln

The award of an Honorary Doctorate to the Deputy Chief Minister II of Sarawak will be the high point of Lincoln University's Malaysian Graduation Ceremony at Kajang, near Kuala Lumpur, this Thursday (26.6.97).

Tan Sri Datuk Amar Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang, a Lincoln agricultural science graduate (1966) who is Sarawak's Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Chief Minister II (equivalent to Deputy Prime Minister), will receive a Doctor of Natural Resources honoris causa degree in recognition of distinguished services to his home country in general and agriculture in particular.

The graduation ceremony also sees the capping of the first students who entered Lincoln University's Bachelor of Commerce and Management programme taught in Malaysia in association with Institut Kerjuruteraan Teknologi, the training body of that country's electricity supply company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

Members of the first intake have now completed their degrees and will be capped by Lincoln University's Chancellor Malcolm Cameron, who heads a party of senior staff including the Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellor, who will be at the ceremony.

In addition to over 90 BCM's, a number of other degrees will be conferred including Master of Commerce and Management, Bachelor of Commerce with Honours and Bachelor of Commerce (Valuation & Property Management).

Several Malaysian students who have already graduated in New Zealand will be ‘presented’ at the ceremony in the presence of family members and friends.

Later in the year Lincoln University will conduct another graduation ceremony overseas – in Singapore – for graduands from that country and other places throughout Asia.

These overseas graduation ceremonies reflect the policy of ‘internationalisation’ which has been actively pursued by Lincoln since it became an autonomous university in 1990.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand