Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark shared a very special meal with several Lincoln graduates in Patan, Nepal on Wednesday.
The event was a Young Leaders’ Lunch to honour the achievements of the Nepalese alumni and others in the region who are making a difference.
Helen Clark is Patron of the Himalayan Trust and has been in Nepal as part of this year’s centenary celebrations, marking 100 years since the birth of Sir Edmund Hillary.
The Lincoln graduates studied at the university on the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarship, which is inspired by the memory of a former WWF Director and Lincoln alumnus.
After Mingma Norbu Sherpa’s tragic death in a helicopter accident in 2006, WWF established a fund to support Nepalese students to study at Lincoln.
Mr Sherpa gained a Diploma in Parks and Recreation from Lincoln in 1980 and shared Sir Edmund Hillary’s belief that without the support of local people, the natural heritage of the Himalayas could not be protected.
The aim of his scholarship is to develop a new generation of conservation leaders to work on environmental protection and sustainable natural resource management in Nepal.
Lincoln University donates tuition fees to two students per year, while WWF provides them with living allowances while they are in New Zealand. The Greater Himalayan Foundation recruits the students for the scholarship and provides airfares and insurance.