15 April 1994 Lincoln - Always Evolving

Education never stands still ... it's all about the transmission of knowledge, cultural values, social practices, wisdom and lore, and just as these are constantly evolving so too is education and the institutions, such as universities, which act as key transmission agents.

Lincoln has never stood still in its 116 years of existence - just read Ian Blair's excellent centennial history "The Seed They Sowed" and you will get a clear appreciation of its growth from humble "school" to internationally respected college.

Furthermore, a new history of the institution is now under preparation which will re­ confirm this point as it traces the story again in the light of additional research and brings it fully up to date with Lincoln as an autonomous and independent university.

Looking back for a moment, when Lord Islington (Governor of NZ 1910-12) paid a Vice-Regal visit to Lincoln during his term in office he commented that the institution was "one of the mainstays of the Dominion's progress, with a system of agricultural education better than any college he had seen in any country".

Such an endorsement publicly confirmed the seminal role Lincoln was playing in the country's education system and it has gone on from strength to strength in its educational role down the years.

However, just as the years have seen an evolution of the country's knowledge base, cultural and social values, economic vision, business practices, trade linkages, and political alignments, so too have educational objectives changed.

The "agricultural education" of which Lord Islington spoke has been transformed.

Speaking at the time of Lincoln's centennial in 1978, Emeritus Professor Reinhart Langer, said that (while) agriculture was the recurring thread in the fabric of Lincoln, a strong and basic element which repeated itself continually ... it gathered strength through being interwoven with the threads of science, management, economics and engineering.

The point he made is an important one in understanding where Lincoln University stands in today's world. The institution's 1994 portfolio of degrees and diplomas could lead the traditionalist to believe that Lincoln has abandoned its agricultural roots in pursuit of the multifarious but such a view is entirely wrong. What Lincoln offers today is a new fabric which has emerged from the interweaving referred to by Professor Langer. In hue the fabric might be broadly described as "natural resources". Indeed near the top of the official Teaching and Research Goals in Lincoln's 1994-96 Corporate Plan the University lists the aim of achieving pre­ eminence in natural resources teaching and research in New Zealand and being a leader in these fields internationally.

And the very first goal under that section in the plan illustrates the many key threads which now make up the Lincoln fabric - Lincoln aims to "achieve excellence in teaching and research in commerce and management, primary production and natural resources, science and engineering and social science".

The story has, therefore, been one of evolution and expansion, not abandonment. So when you read Lincoln advertisements such as the one below on this page it reflects what the University is offering to meet today's needs and tomorrow's expectations.

Editorial for Federated Farmers Diary