27 August 1993 Lincoln University - Comfortable with Global Role

Kristin Svavarsdottir from Iceland is studying for a doctorate in plant ecology ... Hum Bahadur Gurung, a Gurkha from Nepal, graduated with a masters degree in Parks and Recreation Management earlier this year and is now working for his government as a senior conservation officer ... Tevita Vaikona from Tonga is in the second year of a Bachelor of Commerce and Management degree; a talent for rugby league has emerged during his time at Lincoln and he has just toured Great Britain and France with the New Zealand Juniors Team ... Niwat Sanoamuang from Thailand graduated in April with a Ph.D in plant pathology and is now an Associate Professor at Khon Kein University in the north east of his country. For all four Lincoln University has provided the opportunity to pursue internationally recognised qualifications in an environment user-friendly to overseas students. Distance from home has been no impediment when all other factors have been so positive and attractive.

It's not simply fortuitous that Lincoln University has students from 40 different countries studying on its pleasant rural campus, and that proportionately it has always been one of the leading university institutions in New Zealand for the number of overseas students on its roll (14 percent this year).

Building on this internationalisation and further expanding it, is a strategy to be pursued in the years ahead. The feeling is as strong as ever that the University needs to continue encouraging staff and students to see themselves as part of the wider world. To this end Lincoln is keen to arrange twinning agreements with selected overseas universities, chosen to complement its focus. It is also keen to increase the recruitment of international postgraduate students, encourage staff development exchanges, and increase the international content of courses.

Already this year the University's Council has agreed to formal linkage agreements with Chungnam University in Taejon, South Korea, and Nanjing Agricultural University, China. These linkages will be formally documented relationships at governing body level and will be supported by joint research and/or teaching activities. They will also involve staff and student exchanges and be focused on natural resources, thus underlining Lincoln's charter goal of international leadership in natural resources.

Over a five year period Lincoln is looking to develop further such relationships with one institution in the European Community, one in South or East Asia, one in Japan or North Asia, one in North America and one in Australia. This is over and above the informal relationships it has with universities in many parts of the world.

Lincoln's drive towards greater internationalisation is not proceeding without an appropriate infrastructure being in place. Indeed the University is very well set up to welcome international students and to help them make the cultural and social adjustment to life and study in New Zealand.

The University has a number of specifically designated staff positions in the international student area. Recently these have been brought together under a single grouping called the International Student Centre, and the new position of Director has been created.

Heading the Centre is Geoff Ormandy, formerly of Christchurch College of Education, and his task is the management of the various services which cover international marketing, the welfare of international students and the processing of international enrolments.

Staff of the centre are the International Students Admissions Officer Lesley Grey, International Students Clerk Karen Coleman, and International Student Support Officer Juliet Nicholas.

Lincoln also has two members of the academic teaching staff -Professor Kuan Goh and Mr George Hill  -  who act as International Student Advisors. Professor Goh, who holds a personal chair in the Soil Science Department, has been closely involved with helping overseas students for many years. It's work backed by his own experience as an international student, coming to New Zealand in 1957 as a Colombo Plan Scholar.

Professor Goh and Mr Hill, who is Reader in Agronomy in the Plant Science Department, have specific responsibility for the academic care of Overseas Development Assistance students who come to New Zealand under Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade arrangements. They are also involved in the special orientation programmes the University runs for international students to introduce them to campus life.

Another arrangement which helps ease overseas students into the campus environment is to have them complete registration procedures a couple of days ahead of domestic students so that they have an opportunity to settle in before large numbers of others arrive. Note too that Lincoln receives enrolment intakes in July as well as the traditional February time.

Among facilities on campus which newly arrived overseas students can make use of is the Student Learning Centre. Under the direction of Tina Troup, the centre offers a range of courses including English Language Support for those for whom English is not their first language.

Other such language courses are available through the Christchurch College of English Language of which Lincoln University is a shareholder.

Lincoln University also has an active and high-profile International Club whose annual International Night Dinner and Concert is one of the highlights of the University's social calendar.

There is too, an active Ethnic Network, which has among its aims cross-cultural communication and the encouragement of cultural awareness of the ethnic groups represented on the Lincoln campus. This year, for the first time, it held an "Ethnic Week" in association with the International Club, as a prelude to International Night.

Returning to the international students mentioned earlier, the case of Hum Bahadar Gurung illustrates the way clusters of international students with niche area interests come to Lincoln.