David Simmons - Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarships at Lincoln University

The Mingma Norbu Sherpa Scholarship is a partnership between World Wildlife Fund, Lincoln University and the Greater Himalayan Foundation. 

It is awarded for the purpose of encouraging postgraduate study and research at Lincoln University in natural resource management, tourism and the environment to build conservation leadership in Nepal, inspired by and in memory of Mingma Norbu Sherpa. The scholarships are intended to support Nepalese nationals who are committed to the future of environmental protection and sustainable natural resource management in Nepal

Born in 1955 in Khunde, Nepal, Mingma was one of the first students to graduate from the Hillary Khumjung School. He went on to receive a diploma in Parks and Recreation from Lincoln College, University of Canterbury in New Zealand in 1980.

Mingma's ability to achieve remarkable results was his consistent return to the values and philosophies of Sir Edmund Hillary. Ed Hillary and Mingma shared the same belief that without the support of the local people, the natural heritage of the Himalayas cannot be protected.

Mingma died tragically in a helicopter accident in Nepal in 2006. To honour his life-long commitment to help Nepal’s rural poor to improve their livelihoods while living in harmony with nature, WWF established a fund to support students from remote regions of Nepal to study at Lincoln University, New Zealand, Mingma’s alma mater, to help build a new generation of conservation leaders for Nepal.