-PM says at launch of National Defence Institute’s 16-week certificate programme

-participating joint services ranks will be equipped with practical skills to combat modern, complex threats

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Tuesday declared open the National Defence Institute’s Certificate in Defence Studies Programme and underscored the need for a forward-looking and people-centred approach to national security.

While delivering the feature address at the launch of the certificate programme, the Prime Minister said the initiative represents a significant shift in how Guyana prepares for emerging threats.

“Today is not simply the launch of a new programme; rather, it marks a meaningful step forward in our country’s development and how we prepare for the future of Guyana’s national security broadly defined,” he said.

The Prime Minister noted that while military preparedness remains critical, national security must be understood in broader terms, with emphasis on human development and resilience.

“Security, as envisaged… is not only about national security defined in terms of armed capabilities… our grand strategy must be comprehensive,” Phillips stated.

Highlighting the complex global environment, he pointed to ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises, noting that “the world we live in today is a violent one and warning that both conventional warfare and slow violence continue to claim millions of lives annually.

It was against this backdrop that he noted that the new programme is geared towards building a cadre of professionals capable of responding to a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

“It reflects the deliberate forward-looking investment in our people aimed at developing strategic thinkers, more confident and capable leaders and a security system better prepared to respond to challenges,” he said.

To this end, the PM emphasised the central role of human capital in national defence, noting that at its core, national security is not defined by equipment, infrastructure or technology alone, but is also defined by the people who stand behind them.

Meanwhile, PM Phillips also outlined the growing importance of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, in modern security operations, while cautioning that such tools must be guided by trained professionals.

He reiterated that the country is moving beyond a model that focuses only on maintaining operations and is instead investing in transformation through modernisation, intelligence strengthening and education.

“We are building a security system that is smarter, more adaptive and ready for the future,” he affirmed, while adding that the programme represents a long-term investment in human capital development.

Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, described the launch as a pivotal moment in strengthening Guyana’s strategic capacity.

“There are moments in a nation’s life when progress is not only measured in what we build or what we acquire, but by the minds we shape. Today is one of those moments,” Khan said.

While noting that the introduction of the programme represents a step toward strengthening the strategic capacity of the country, he added that it aligns with the vision of the Commander-in-Chief to secure Guyana’s future through comprehensive development.

According to the Chief of Defence Staff, the programme’s core objective is to cultivate critical and forward-thinking leaders.

To this end, he encouraged participants to fully engage with the programme, urging them to view it as transformative. “Let this course not simply be a programme to attend, but a process that transforms how we think, how we decide,” he added.

Deputy Director of the NDI Dr Seon Levius revealed that the certificate programme, which commenced over 10 weeks ago, currently has 14 participants drawn from the joint services and spans a 16-week semester.

“The objectives of the programme are…to provide strategic and security studies using instruction that is relevant to the participants’ service environment… to sustain defence, security and development research… and to utilise a civil-military approach to teach and analyse defence policies and leadership strategies,” Levius outlined, among other things.

He added that participants will be equipped with practical skills to address contemporary security challenges, including the ability to conduct research and make recommendations to address current and future defence and security issues and to recognise and utilise cybersecurity frameworks and develop countermeasures on cyber threats.

Levius underscored the programme’s academic intensity, noting that it comprises graduate-level courses aligned with international standards and incorporates a wide range of subject areas, from foreign policy and strategic studies to leadership and security analysis.

He also highlighted the diversity of issues being examined by participants, including border security, illegal mining, environmental degradation and the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.

Students of the first cohort of the Certificate in Defence Studies are expected to conclude the 16-week programme on June 5.