8 May 2000 Record number of doctorates feature of Lincoln's capping

Eight hundred and forty-five degrees and diplomas, including a record 38 doctorates, will be awarded at Lincoln University's Graduation, spread over two ceremonies in Christchurch Town Hall this Friday. (12 May)

That's a 14 percent increase on the number capped on Lincoln's Graduation Day last year.

In addition two honorary doctorates will be conferred – a Doctor of Commerce, honoris causa, to deer industry pioneer and Warbirds Over Wanaka founder Sir Tim Wallis in the morning ceremony, and a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, to former University Chancellor and past Director-General of Agriculture Malcolm Cameron of Wellington at the afternoon ceremony.

The University's Bledisloe Medal for outstanding contributions to New Zealand's interests will also be awarded, to ANZ Banking Group's New Zealand Managing Director Dr Murray Horn, a past Secretary to the Treasury.

For the University's new Chancellor, the Hon. Margaret Austin, it will be her first Lincoln graduation in a presiding role.

The bulk of eligible candidates will receive their degrees and diplomas in person, but over 172 have opted to have them awarded in absentia, a small increase proportionately on last year.

Commerce and Commerce and Management degrees and diplomas make up the majority of qualifications to be awarded (38 percent of the total) followed by the ‘Agriculture’ grouping of Agriculture, Agricultural Science, Agricultural Commerce and Farm Management, then Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, and Resource Studies.

The award of 24 Postgraduate Diplomas in Viticulture and Oenology is another feature of this year's figures.

Between the two ceremonies – one in the morning starting at 10.00am and the other in the afternoon starting at 2.30pm – there will be an academic procession of graduates and graduands through the central city from the Arts Centre to the Town Hall.

Behind the doctoral awards are a number of ground-breaking research projects. For example, recent NZ Green Party co-convenor Christine Dann, now a researcher for the Greens on trade and agricultural policy, will graduate PhD in Environmental Policies after research on the emergence of green parties in the context of global developments.

Christine's research is regarded as a major contribution to the understanding of green politics and green parties and their importance as an international force for addressing environmental and social issues.

Her PhD was supervised by Dr Ton Buhrs of the University's Environmental Management Group within the Environmental Management & Design Division.

Joining Christine and the other new doctors is Jason Potts who will graduate PhD in Economics after abstract work exploring the fundamentals of how economists of different schools of thought think about the nature of an economy.

His thesis presents a highly significant theoretical perspective on understanding whether or not an economy will operate in an orderly manner when hit by a shock, and for understanding the extent to which people will be willing to change their behaviour as relative prices change or new products are introduced.

The work was supervised by Lincoln's Professor of Economics, Peter Earl.

Jason's thesis received glowing referee reports and a book based on it has been contracted by one of the world's leading publishers of economics texts.

Lincoln University's Graduation Day will conclude with a Graduation Ball at the Christchurch Convention Centre, Kilmore Street, starting at 8.00pm.

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