5 October 2001 Tenth overseas graduation for Lincoln

The milestone of 10 overseas graduation ceremonies is reached by Lincoln University when it holds its latest capping in Malaysia on 13 October.

The ceremony, at Bangi, Kuala Lumpur, will see 121 students from throughout the region awarded degrees. The majority will have completed Lincoln's Bachelor of Commerce and Management degree at Malaysia's Universiti Tenaga Nasional under an arrangement dating from 1994 which saw Lincoln pioneer the off-shore teaching of a New Zealand university degree.

Lincoln University's Chancellor Margaret Austin will preside, with Vice­ Chancellor Dr Frank Wood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field and Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic Services) Roger Smyth also present.

Guests include the recently appointed New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mac Price.

Ahead of the ceremony, on 12 October, over 250 graduates and former students of Lincoln will gather for an Alumni Association social evening in Kuala Lumpur.

Following the ceremony, on 15 October, the Chancellor will convene a special convocation of the University in Kuching, Sarawak, for the award of Lincoln University's Certificate in Conservation and Ecotourism Management to 38 national parks staff members.

At this ceremony an Honorary Doctor of Commerce degree will be conferred on Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Hamid bin Bugo, who has had a distinguished public service career in Sarawak, recently retiring as State Secretary of the State Government. In the 1960s he was a Colombo Plan Scholar in New Zealand.

The Kuching convocation will be followed by a social gathering of over 90 Sarawakian alumni of Lincoln.

Lincoln University has had a long educational association with Sarawak and in recent years has been working closely with the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism and Department of Forests teaching the Certificate in Conservation & Ecotourism Management. Recently Lincoln University's Dr Pat Devlin led the first reviews of Sarawak's national parks.

"In Malaysia, Lincoln University's association with Universiti Nasional Tenaga (UNITEN), and in Sarawak the connection with the Tourism Ministry and Forests Department, are outstanding examples of international co-operation in education," says Lincoln University's International Director, Geoff Ormandy.

"A major objective of the UNITEN programme was to help the local university achieve academic independence. As from this year UNITEN will deliver its commerce and business programmes without any input from Lincoln University."

Over 700 students have graduated from the scheme during the time of the collaboration and many are now employed in strategic positions in Malaysia and New Zealand.

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