Record roll as Lincoln transforms

Lincoln University’s record student numbers are on a strong growth curve with half of them studying for postgraduate qualifications.

Vice-chancellor Prof Grant Edwards said it was a positive time for the university.

‘‘Our student population continues to grow. Currently we are sitting at over 5000 students which is the largest the university has ever been. This has basically come off the back of very heavy domestic growth in the student population. A part of that is we have strategically moved the university to a postgraduate-intensity university and at this point of time over half our students are postgraduates and over half are over the age of 25.’’

He said Lincoln had continued to develop research pathways at a domestic and international level.

With an upgraded campus, the university was ready to address some of the big agri-food challenges including how to feed a growing world population, a changing and warming climate with more severe weather events, and an understanding agriculture was a significant contributor to climate change, he said.

Prof Edwards said this was a major dilemma for agri-food systems across the globe, but agri-food transformation would be a large part of the solution.

He said the university had gone through a considerable transformation itself the past three or four years.

The science facility, Waimarie, was completed with upgrades made to student buildings and sport and recreation facility, Whare Hākinakina. A decarbonisation plan was in place for the decommissioning of the coal burner with a large commitment to solar energy generation early next year, as well as the restoration of the Ivey West and Memorial Hall, he said.

The strategic plan was committed to Lincoln being a specialist university for the land-based sectors, particularly agriculture, horticulture and tourism.

He had provided the introduction for the NZ Institute of Agricultural & Horticultural Science’s Canterbury Forum – Nitrogen: Friend or Foe?

Prof Edwards said the turnout was the largest he had seen at a forum in the past four years.

‘‘Obviously it’s a reflection of either the renewed vigour in agricultural and horticultural science and interest around that or particularly in the topic here today: Nitrogen: Friend or Foe?’’

The nitrogen issue was another dilemma representing the balance between production, people, economies and the environment, he said.

‘‘Lincoln is certainly up for the challenge and directed to this we have developed a new qualification ... which is the master of environment and agriculture. Offered for the first time in 2025, Lincoln University has designed a new qualification dedicated to teaching students how to leave out the tension between environment and agriculture to achieve better results for both and drive the future of food production systems."