Aimed at educating joint services officers and their civilian counterparts using a defence, security, and development-focused curriculum, the National Defence Institute was launched on Wednesday.
While this body falls under the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), it will be working closely with strategic partners to execute its mandate.
According to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Irfaan Ali, the goal to make it a premier institute for security education and training in the western hemisphere.
The main strategic partners of the National Defence Institute are the United States’ National Defense University and the Perry Center along with the University of Guyana.
Chairman of the newly established institute, Colonel Sheldon Howell, noted that Guyana is poised to emerge as a more significant and dynamic strategic influencer in both regional and global affairs.
Meanwhile, Director of the National Defence Institute, Randolph Persaud noted that they are ready to get the work started.
The Defence Institute has four research and teaching areas: foreign policy and diplomacy, strategic studies, human security and development, civilian-military relations.
“In addition…we will also engage in training exercises, for instance, we will soon do…an exercise for emergency rescue and evacuation operations,” Persaud noted.
The institute is expected to start with a Certificate in Defence Studies before it launches bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the same area of study.
The institute will also focus on cybersecurity, security risk profiling, and gang profiling in Guyana and the Caribbean region.
