“Contribute to research and knowledge on impact of COVID-19 on Gender, peace and security” – KAIPTC Deputy Commandant urges new students
Accra, 11th September 2020: The Deputy Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Air Commodore George Arko-Dadzie has urged the ninth cohort of the Master of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security (MGPS 9) programme to interrogate the impact of the Coronavirus on gender, conflicts, peace and security in Africa.
He said this during the matriculation ceremony to officially welcome them to KAIPTC on Monday, 7th September. He noted that:
“the pandemic is not just about health; its ripple impact is being felt in all sectors, and has serious implications for peace and security in the sub-region and on the continent”.
He suggested areas of research such as the undesirable legacy of the pandemic on the gender, women, peace and security agenda in Ghana, on the sub-region and the continent; the degree to which COVID-19 has affected equal and full participation of women in peace processes and an evaluation of the responses to the pandemic in conflict-affected and post-conflict been effective.
He also assured the cohort of 38 students, comprising 27 females and 11 males, of the best tutelage at KAIPTC to equip them, with their reciprocal support, to become consummate practitioners in the gender, peace and security field.
KAIPTC, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and guided by the protocols thereof, continues to provide relevant training programmes and post-graduate education in peace and security.
The Deputy Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAAR), Dr. Emma Birikorang commended the students for choosing KAIPTC and urged them to stay focused on their studies. Professor Kwaku Osei-Hwedie, Dean of Academic Affairs, assisted by Mr. Fuseini Sanda, Assistant Registrar, led the students to take the matriculation oath and entreated the students to stay committed to their studies to make their academic investments worthwhile.
Speaking on behalf of his mates, Mr. Timothy Aidoo, the class representative, thanked KAIPTC for the opportunity to study in a world-class training and research Centre in Africa. On their expectations for the programme, he said they expect to be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills to play meaningful roles in professional leadership positions; and to be prepared for careers in Peace and Security.
The Master of Arts in Gender Peace and Security (MGPS) has been running since 2012. It is a year-long programme that, among others, covers subjects like Gender, Peace and Security; Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Management; Peace Brokering and Security Management as well as Research Method and Writing Skills. Alumni of the MGPS Programme have come from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Burundi, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Benin, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Rwanda, Mali, Kenya and The Democratic Republic of Congo.
For further information, please contact the Corporate Affairs Unit of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) on +233 302 718200 ext 1104/1203. You can find the KAIPTC on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube as: @kaiptcgh and on instagram @kaiptc. You can further find out more about the KAIPTC on our website: www.kaiptc.org.
About the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
The Ghana Ministry of Defence (MoD) established the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in 1998 and commissioned it in 2004. The purpose was to build upon and share Ghana’s five decades of internationally acclaimed experience and competence in peace operations with other states in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region and the rest of Africa. This was in recognition of the need for training military, police and civilian men and women to meet the changing demands of multidimensional peace operations. The Centre is one of the three (3) Peacekeeping Training Centres of Excellence mandated by the ECOWAS to offer training in peacekeeping and peace support operations (PSO) in Africa.
The Centre delivers training courses in three thematic areas; Peace Support Operations, Conflict Management and Peace and Security Studies and also runs Masters and PhD programmes in same. The KAIPTC has a world-class research department that undertakes research in the thematic areas in Peace and Security. Located in Accra, Ghana, the KAIPTC is an internationally recognised institution and has to date trained and tutored over 21, 496 participants and students since its inception.
KAIPTC is a gender-sensitive organisation and committed to gender equality. Following the launch of its gender policy in 2014, the Centre has mainstreamed gender into its policies and programmes, and integrates same in its focal areas, namely training, research and postgraduate education. The Centre has developed a Sexual Harassment policy and fully oriented employees on same. It has also provided a Nursing and Childcare Centre and instituted a paternity leave policy, all with the aim to create a conducive work environment at KAIPTC.