Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Frans Kapofi said defence forces and other national security agencies are taking the lead, not only in safeguarding peace and security in the country, but in knowledge production as well.
He said special schools such as the School of Military Science at Unam are pushing further the frontier of knowledge in civil-military education in science, technology, the arts and humanities.
“The quality of graduates produced by this institution, who are still in active service in our three Arms of Services, is indicative of the commitment of the government and other security cluster agencies to produce defence experts of international repute,” the minister beamed.
Kapofi was speaking on Tuesday during the first international conference on security, resource control and democracy in Africa hosted by the University of Namibia’s School of Military Science, in collaboration with Professor Toyin Falola from the University of Texas.
Kapofi said graduates of the school of Military Science are making original contributions in the area of policy analysis, strategic planning, aeronautics and nautical sciences. Skills and knowledge acquired from various fields at Unam add value to the professional military training and operational capability of the security forces.
This hybrid three-day event explored Africa’s potential amidst challenges like political unrest, terrorism and resource exploitation.
It aimed to facilitate a multi-disciplinary exchange among scholars, policymakers and officials on topics including resources governance, nationalism, sustainable development and climate change.
Furthermore, it encouraged post-graduate and emerging scholars’ participation, and will support the publication of selected works. Submissions across 12 sub-themes, such as environmental security and pan-Africanism, have been made.
The conference received submissions on a variety of sub-themes, including resources governance and distribution, the interplay between land, legacy, security and state in Africa, the dynamics of nationalism, regionalism and identity politics, the sustainable development and industrialisation agenda in Africa, environmental security and water resources management, the nexus of climate change, conflict and security issues, the complexities of migration, human rights and labour politics in Africa, the impact of globalisation on illegal economies and illicit financial markets, the challenges of human trafficking, terrorism and organised crime in Africa, and the critical aspects of aviation safety and security on the continent.
Chief of Defence Air Marshal Martin Kambulu Pinehas said the security measures are necessary for ensuring the safety of the natural resources, enhancing democracy and development, they cannot discount the critical role of education in the defence force.
“For this reason, the NDF will continue to fund, partner with institutions of higher learning, especially the School of Military Science and Unam in enhancing the generation, sharing and dissemination of new knowledge on strategic matters,” he said.
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