One hundred and forty students yesterday graduated from the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, after successfully completing various courses in Peace and Security. The graduands were from Ghana, Cameroun, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda.
Two graduated with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in International Conflict Management, with 27 receiving Master of Arts degrees in Conflict, Peace and Security.
Thirty-nine graduated with Master of Arts degrees in Gender, Peace and Security, while 34 others received Executive Master of Arts degrees in Conflict, Peace and Security.
Thirty-eight weekend students also graduated with Master of Arts degrees in Conflict, Peace and Security.
The event was on the theme: “Providing skills to meet business and human security needs in uncertain times.”
Challenging times
The Commandant of the College, Major General Francis Ofori, said the graduands completed the academic circle in very challenging times of the upsurge of COVID-19.
He said the prevailing uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted on every sector of life, including human security, economy, food, health and the environment.
“This reinforces the call for a people-centred, comprehensive, context-specific, prevention-oriented, protection and empowerment approach to ensuring human and business security needs,” the commandant said.
He added that in a period of uncertainties, there was the need to be adaptive and responsive to the changing times.
Major General Ofori further said it was the objective of the college to equip students with a firm foundation, analytical tools and theoretical and practical skills to blossom through uncertain times.
“There is the need to confront uncertainties through and beyond the crises, build more resilient youth to face the current uncertainties within the global economy and any other future disruptions.
“The youth have essential roles to play in shaping a post-COVID-19 world. We all have individual and collective roles to play in ensuring sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development,” Major General Ofori added.
Thinking outside the box
A Ghanaian businessman, Mr Sam Jonah, said while machines and digital technologies were taking on roles in analytics and business operations, human beings remained a unique resource in their ability to think outside the box.
He said in the near future, the business landscape would evolve and adapt rapidly and, therefore, urged students to begin tapping into their creative mindset to find ways of steering businesses through challenges.
“Expectations from employers are not graduates who only go with the flow, but those who are capable of thinking outside the box, coming up with creative decisions and are very innovative in their thought processes,” Mr Jona added.
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