Inter-American Defense College Director gives thumbs up to UG’s new master’s programme

As the University of Guyana (UG) prepares to begin teaching the first cohort of its new Master’s Degree in Strategic Development Studies, university officials recently met with the Director of the US Inter-American Defense College (IADC), Major General James Taylor.

They had discussions on various areas of mutual interest and pledged to further collaborate, especially on the academic side of security-related issues.
The new master’s programme is being offered on the menu of new strategic security and safety offerings through the University’s recently-launched Institute of Human Resilience, Strategic Security and the Future (IHRSSF).
The IADC team was accompanied by the Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Colonel Omar Khan, who was integrally involved in conceptualising and working on the design of the programme.
Colonel Khan noted, “This is one of our red-carpet initiatives to bring an understanding of the various aspects of security in Guyana. Such a programme will promote awareness for optimal decision-making and will enhance the capacity of our people… I am happy that we have come to this day and we will be able to offer this programme.”
Major General Taylor gave a thumbs up to the programme and commended the University for taking the initiative to design and implement it. “I know this is a great programme that will add great value to this country. You have an excellent thing going,” he remarked.
The Director shared the experiences of the IADC and indicated that the College would be happy to further collaborate with UG on its new master’s programme.
UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, out of whose office the project was developed, said that the University was delighted to have been given the opportunity to host Major General Taylor and his team. She outlined the menu of initiatives that the University was currently pursuing regarding safety, security, and resiliency through the IHRSSF.

In referring to the master’s programme the VC noted, “This programme allows … UG to accomplish one of its 2040 Blueprint aspirations – Goal #2 for the University to be a centre of excellence in nine specific areas of national strategic importance of which human resiliency systems is one.”
Major General Taylor and his aide, Major Greg Carter, are currently in Guyana at the invitation of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Coordinator designate of the master’s programme, Brigadier (Retired) Bruce Lovell provided a brief presentation on the programme to the delegation. According to him, the programme comes at the opportune moment when the country’s development trajectory will be impacted by the discovery of oil, which makes it necessary to position the nation’s human resources to exploit the attendant opportunities.
He explained that the programme was fundamentally designed to produce graduates capable of functioning in the contemporary operating environment who can apply the research skills of empiricism to generate conceptual, theoretical, and practical solutions required for national development.