The decision last month for AgResearch and Lincoln University to not formally combine forces and build joint facilities must be seen as yet another nail in Lincoln’s coffin and further the undermining of the role of education in the agricultural sector.
Since the 2011 earthquake Lincoln has been beset by mismanagement, lack of strong and transparent leadership compounded by successive governments that don’t seem to know what to do with New Zealand’s smallest university.
While University of Canterbury which also had severe earthquake damage seemed to be able to grasp the situation and make rapid decisions which have resulted in a largely rebuilt campus. Lincoln is shrinking its way to oblivion.
Dangerous buildings which were unusable before the 2011 earthquake are still propped up, holes in the ground exist where old buildings stood covered in weeds. Dozens of oak trees, which must have been getting close to heritage status and added to the campus ambience, were cut down and sold for fire wood for now what is seen as yet another flawed decision and staff have been fed a diet of contradictory stories which change as often as the wind.
New plans are no doubt being drawn up as a result of the AgResearch withdrawal but given the lack of progress shown in the last eight years, in fact the reverse has occurred and the University in every sense apart from the balance sheet apparently, has gone backwards. Can we expect another eight years to pass and still no progress? Staff morale has been low for several years with large numbers of staff leaving. Lincoln is now on to its sixth Vice Chancellor since Roger Field left in 2012 acting or otherwise and with the ‘merger’ or not merger with Canterbury still being worked through the current may well be the last.
The unfortunate aspect to all of this is that Lincoln has such a lot to offer the agricultural sector but under investment from past and current government funding system which has always put Lincoln in a difficult financial situation and the gross mismanagement by some of the recent VC appointments means that it has been on the back foot for some time, even pre-earthquake. The importance of a dedicated tertiary institution to agriculture must be seen as a priority to government especially with the rapidly changing landscape that farming and land use are now being asked, no told, to operate in.
Fortunately, students are still coming but unless Lincoln can get some meaningful runs on the board soon it may never recapture the status that it once had and is arguably still trading on.
The China market
Understandably China is to the forefront of most exporters (including producers) minds when planning ahead. With this in mind I have seen some interesting fact and figures coming out of new Zealand’s largest trading ‘partner’.
The population aged 60 and above in China has for the first time surpassed those under 15, showing how the country's demographic structure is aging. According to the statement released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) two weeks ago the population of China was about 1.4 billion at the end of 2018.
Among them, the number of people aged 15 and under is 248.6 million; those who aged 60 and above are 249.5 million. This may mean companies like Fonterra need to think beyond the infant formula trade which has and is serving New Zealand producers well and look at what is suitable for an aging population.
However, much of the funding of consumer demand is coming from borrowed money and according to a survey conducted by research specialist Analysys in December 2017, people between the ages of 24 and 35 accounted for more than 70% of consumer borrowers in China. Chinese consumers, especially people born in 1980 and later, are less squeamish than their older peers about buying on debt. So, while the population is aging, they may be less keen on spending than the younger generation. A throw back to the austere times they were brought up in.
6 Comments
Its a bloody shame about Lincoln. I thought there was a board of powerful successful business people who were over seeing Lincoln's recovery. Are they not living up to their reputations? I understand the financial consequences of being small but in many ways being a small university has helped a large number of students from smaller rural schools integrate easier after having left home for their first time. This is where the future leaders of agriculture get to practice and hone skills that will assist in their careers. What we need are solutions and education leaders who can implement them.
Powerful successful business types are the last thing they need.
Agribusiness as we've come to know it, is the process of turning Fossil Fuel calories int o food calories, in a seriously losing way. Continue and we fry ourselves, continue and we run into EROEI diminishing-returns, continue further and we simply run out - albeit in an unlivable world.
So Lincoln need to be researching a totally different model. A sustainable one. One that is ex-fossil fuels. One that can transcend a global economic melt-down (almost inevitable) and feed our cities. One that doesn't draw down aquifers, soil quantities, soil qualities, biodiversity......
That probably requires the leadership to be organic/permaculture/ful circle types. But of course, there won't/can't be a 'business model' for that.
Having had some views inside the administration at Lincoln, for a decade or so, two decades ago, I'm not at all surprised by the current situation. Back then, the staffers were, to put it kindly, different, not to say aged, set in their ways and obtuse with it. There seemed to be a lot of young talent just waiting to step into the shoes of the deadwoods once the latter finally bought the farm . Guess the talent just got tired of waiting....
irreversiblechaos - tell your mate what a load of bollocks. One of the reasons Lincoln has been in financial difficulties is that since the earthquake overseas enrollments have not recovered to there previous levels.
powerdownkiwi - I respect your values however you cant make a ship stand on end and do a u turn, you need to gently coax it around and looking at some of the more recent courses available places such as Lincoln are conscious of the need to broaden the skills they are teaching.
waymad - I have a son currently at Lincoln. He was okay at school but is now producing outstanding results and comes homes passionate and enthusiastic about farming. There must be some good passionate teachers still there who are "bringing on" the next generation.
As our farming business expands it is becoming more and more complicated to manage. Staff, financial,environmental, sustainability. It will need the skill set my son and others like him are now acquiring at Lincoln.
We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment.
Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.