UG’s 2023 Perry Award is well-deserved, should not be taken lightly – President Ali
The University of Guyana’s Institute for Human Resiliency, Strategic Security and the Future (IHRSSF) has been honoured with the prestigious 2023 William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies Award for Excellence in Security and Defense Education – marking it the sole recipient of this accolade for the year 2023.
UG’s Vice Chancellor, Dr Paloma Mohamed received the award on behalf of IHRSSF from the centre’s director, Paul Angelo at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) on Wednesday.
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali attended the momentous occasion where he emphasised the collaborative efforts of his government, the United States, UG, and the Guyana Defence Force in achieving this significant milestone.
Dr Ali said that the award should not be underestimated.
“The Perry Centre is not an ordinary centre. The National Defense University is not an ordinary centre…These institutions would have crafted programmes and developed the minds of extraordinary people around the world [and] it is a tremendous honour to achieve this accolade, this award and we must not take it lightly at all,” the head of state expressed.
President Ali underscored the pivotal role of the university and programmes such as these in stemming the root cause of authoritarian leadership which is now becoming prominent in today’s society.
“To deal with this we have to deal with security as a lifelong investment and not just an opportunistic investment….The fundamentals of international security, and hemispheric security form the foundational pillars on which the principle of leadership and principle of security and democracy is built,” he further stated.
The Guyanese head-of-state also noted that this is the only beginning of more partnership and collaboration with Guyana and the William J. Perry Center.
This seminal award acknowledges the university’s contributions to developing future leaders equipped to address critical security and defence challenges within Guyana and the Americas.
UG also launched its master’s degree programme in strategic development studies back in 2022.
The course was developed as a result of a collaboration between the University of Guyana, the Government of Guyana Agencies — National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) — and the United States Government through the William J. Perry Center, among others.
The vice chancellor remarked, “This is not a slight moment, a moment that is to be brushed aside…It is a highly significant moment…We can see it being really celebrated as a programme of excellence, a signal programme, and one that will do great things.”
Meanwhile, Chief of Defence, Brigadier Omar Khan also acknowledged the head of state’s vision in institutionalising the strategic development studies that are geared towards the holistic concept of national development.
“We all know how imperative it is to have leaders across the various sectors prepared and equipped to respond to today’s challenges and to be proactive to address new and emerging situations, especially regarding the safety of our people and the security of our democracy and sovereignty. Already, we have seen the tremendous strides made in this regard,” the Brigadier Khan stated.
US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Colonel Sheldon Howel, delivered brief remarks at the awarding ceremony.