5 October 2004 Applications Open for 2005 Kellogg Rural Leadership Course

Lincoln University's Kellogg Rural Leadership Course is the country's premier professional development training programme for aspiring and incumbent leaders in the rural sector and applications for the 2005 course are open now.

Founded in 1979 with an initial grant from the Kellogg Corporation of the United States, the course was inspired by Lincoln University's awareness that leadership is a critical factor in the performance of the primary production sector in New Zealand.

The course aims at encouraging skilful rural leadership and a confident rural voice to balance any possible domination of national policy-making by purely urban sectional interests. It recognises that rural productivity is still the backbone of the New Zealand economy and the fundamental source of the country's wealth.

The course was an immediate success and to date there have been over 450 graduates. They include former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, Cabinet Ministers such as former Minister of Housing and Energy John Luxton and former Minister of Conservation Denis Marshall, Members of Parliament such as Eric Roy, Sandra Goudie, and Gerry Eckhoff, national presidents of Federated Farmers Owen Jennings, Malcolm Bailey and Tom Lambie, and former kiwifruit industry leader John Palmer, now chairman of Air NZ.

Today the programme is funded by the Primary Industry Council, made up of representatives of the Meat, Dairy, Wool, Pipfruit, Zespri and Game industry.

The course has three parts – a residential period at Lincoln University at the beginning of the year; a period researching and compiling a report on a specific topic of the scholar's own choice; a period back at Lincoln to present the reports; and a field trip to Wellington to meet and speak with key rural and industry leaders about the practice of leadership and rural sector advocacy in the "corridors of power".

The course is limited to 24 participants, chosen by a selection committee. The scholars pay no tuition or administrative fees but meet the cost of accommodation at Lincoln University while on campus and transport to and from the University.

Applications for the 2005 course are open now and prospectuses are available from the Professional Development Group, Lincoln University through Errol Costello at costelle@lincoln.ac.nz or telephone (03) 3252811 ext. 7832 or Cora Baillie at baillec@lincoln.ac.nz or telephone (03) 3252811 ext. 8606.

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