UG, GDF ink MOU for Agriculture Associate Degree
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, October 5, 2017
The Guyana Defence Force and the University of Guyana today signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for educational collaboration. The signing took place at a ceremony held in the television room of Base Camp Ayanganna.
Brigadier West hands over a ceremonial “coin” to University of Guyana Vice Chancellor, Ivelaw Griffith.
Chief of Staff Brigadier Patrick West explained that the MOU which is in keeping with international norms will result in Officer Cadets of the Standard Officers’ Course Number 50 and beyond receiving Associate Degrees in the field of Agriculture.
“I am particularly pleased today to sign this MOU for academic collaboration which will enhance the academic profile of our Standard Officers’ course number 50 future standard officers’ courses of the GDF at the same time it will develop the Agriculture Corp as a Research Centre with the University of Guyana”, West said.
According to the Brigadier, “The concept basically sees the implementation of a national security strategy that employs all instruments of national power in a more integrated way to meet the challenges faced by Guyana at this time. This would obviously require a higher degree of inter-agency cooperation to combine defence with diplomacy economic development with law enforcement and civil authority with the Defence Force.”
Brigadier West and University of Guyana Vice Chancellor, Ivelaw Griffith with their respective teams.
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Professor Ivelaw Griffith says the signing of the MOU is a good expression of what the leadership of the Guyana Defence Force thinks of its ranks.
“We have a critical role not only in enabling our nations individual mandates for us to educate and defend but in the context of those mandates, there are very many elements some of which mean educational collaboration is necessary not simply desired,” Vice Chancellor Griffith told representatives of UG and GDF at the ceremony.
Professor Griffith also encouraged future collaboration with the GDF, especially in the preparation of ranks of its Officer Corp for continued service after retiring their military career.
The Guyana Defence Force’s Agriculture Corp was established almost fifty years ago while the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School was established in 1981 and continues to be one of the Regions functioning military training schools.
By: Kidackie Amsterdam