7 December 1992 Noted Economist Guest for Lincoln's Computing Birthday

Top economist Professor Bryan Philpott of Wellington will be guest of honour at Lincoln on Friday afternoon (11 Dec.) when the University celebrates 25 years of computing on the campus.

Lincoln's first computer, an IBM 1130, was installed in 1967, which was relatively early in New Zealand's experience with computing. The country's first computer (an IBM 650) began work at the Treasury in 1960.

Professor Philpott, then head of Agricultural Economics at Lincoln and Director of the Agricultural Economics Research Unit, was a leading light in the adoption of the new technology and he will return on Friday for the silver jubilee celebrations.

Also coming from Wellington is Mr Neil Mountier, Lincoln's first Computer Centre Director and Reader in Biometrics. Before coming to Lincoln he had been on the staff of the Department of Agriculture and had made use of the Treasury's IBM 650 since its installation in 1960.

Today Lincoln is one of the most "computer friendly" campuses in New Zealand. It offers a degree in Applied Computing, computing is a core compulsory subject for many of its qualifications, and it has the highest number of computer workstations per student of any of the New Zealand universities.

Professor Philpott and Mr Mountier will address staff before a birthday cake is cut to mark the occasion.

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