Alumni Dinner to Professor David Simmons in Nepal

A successful gathering of Alumni was held in Kathmandu on the 22^nd of September 2009. The Alumni Association was able to take advantage of Professor David Simmons (Tourism), who was in Nepal for a trekking holiday, to host the event.

Lincoln University has a long and enviable record of engagement with Nepal from the first days of their Diploma of Parks and Recreation Management. Today Lincoln Alumni occupy a number of senior positions in parks, conservation and development agencies including: Chief Wardens of all national parks – Mr Surya Bahadur Pandey, recently retired as Chief Warden of Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) National Park; the Director General, Mr Gopal Prasad Upadhyay, and Deputy Director, Mr Megh Bahadur Pandey of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Nepal. Lincoln graduates are also very well represented amongst I-NGOs with Dr Ghana Shyam Gurung as Director, Conservation Programs WWF-Nepal; Dr Lhakpa Sherpa, International Centre for Mountains; and Dr Hum Bahadur Gurung, CEO Bird Conservation Nepal, and other Alumni from Massey University  Mr Shankar Koirala, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Rameshwar Singh Pande, Livestock Expert, and others.

For the Alumni function Professor Simmons welcomed the 32 assembled Alumni, updated them on recent changes to Lincoln University, and extended the University’s condolences on the death of Migma Norbu Sherpa who died in a helicopter crash in Eastern Nepal in 2006 along with a number of world and Nepal leading conservationists. (See Mingma Norbu Sherpa Living Memorial Scholarship). He also extended personal best wishes from the “father” of parks and protected area management at Lincoln University, Associate Professor (emeritus) Pat Devlin, who personally supervised most of the students,

Lincoln has also had an increasing number of students in community forestry, agriculture/livestock and other aspects of resource management. All in all a good night of dining and local entertainment was had with all sending their best wishes to friends and colleagues at Lincoln University. Mr Rameshwar Singh Pande , alumni from the Massey University and other were also participated the gathering. The evening resolved to form a broader New Zealand Alumni Association.

Professor Simmones also presented a paper on “ Strategies and Scop for Rural Tourism in Nepal” on that occasion.