R/Adm Moses Beick-Baffour, Professor Martin Morgan Tuli, Brigadier General Albert Adu and Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso with the students
Eighty-two senior military officers have begun a one-year intensive course for Master of Science in Defence and International Politics (MDIP) programme at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in Accra.
The selected military officers included 60 personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and 22 from allied institutions including Benin, Burkina Faso, La Cote d’ Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, The Gambia and Togo.
Addressing the matriculants, the Commandant of GAFCSC, Rear Admiral Moses Beick-Baffour, said the aim of the course was to develop participants’ professional knowledge and understanding, and also broaden their academic outlook to prepare them to assume increased responsibility as senior management personnel, staff officers and commanders.
He outlined the details of the 48-week Master of Science “MSc” and Passed Staff Course “psc” study, which involved syndicate room discussions, central auditorium lectures, field work, regional tours and visits. The course ends in August 2021.
Continuing, he said, the “psc” course package requires all students to write three service papers, including one christened ‘Commandant’s Research Paper’, which doubles as students’ dissertation towards the award of the MDIP degree.
“In addition to the traditional subjects, special programmes, such as International Humanitarian Law Package, Maritime Sector Governance Course (formally the Exclusive Economic Zone Management Course), Defence Management Module, Conflict and Crisis Management Module and International Peace Support Operations, have also been added to enrich the curriculum,” he added.
He said in addition to military subjects and the academic programmes (MDIP), students would be exposed to geo-politics and also the study of the vibrant Ghanaian and African environments, considering the entire role the senior manager is expected to play in their profession and society.
The Deputy Rector of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Professor Martin Morgan Tuli, said “students are starting this programme at a very challenging year” and urged them to adapt to this period and cope with Covid-19.
Also present were Deputy Commandant Brigadier General Adu and the Director of Academic Affairs, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso and other officers.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey