Today Galen University joined forces with the BDF and the Belize Coast Guard by signing an MOU that will enhance the educational opportunities for officers within their ranks. It establishes a framework for a long term collaboration which will not only see additional military education, but also professional development and national capacity building. Key areas include collaborative reach in leadership training, internship placements for Galen students, joint workshops and more. At the signing ceremony today, the Brigadier General of the BDF and the Vice Commandant of the BCG told us how this collaboration will help their officers.
Brigadier Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, BDF
"We have realized that just professional military education is insufficient for the work that we do so we started to see how we could partner with a prestigious university, well a recognized university such as Galen university, a top university in Belize. And here we are today, we had the discussions going on for a number of months now until we reached the pinnacle where we have been offered to partner and collaborate with Galen University. They will provide us with some scholarships, not all will be scholarships of course and we are in the process of modernizing our promotional criteria which will now encompass from high school diplomas to undergraduate and graduate levels."
Captain Gregory Soberanis, Vice Commandant, BCG
"There are three key areas really, we're looking at career advancement, skill development and also enhanced performance. As you know, a program such as this one, in collaboration with Galen will definitely have our sailor advance as it relates to their professional military education, which can lead to promotions. As it relates to skill development, programs such as these that elevates your critical thinking skills, elevates your communication skills and so it really provides an avenue for our sailors to grow and develop in a way that extends beyond just the military education but professional education from our local institutions here in Belize. And then of course you enhance their overall skills as it relates to decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, that type of thing. So this partnership is key for us when you look at the career development plan for members of the Coast Guard, it hinges on education and so a partnership like this will definitely create a wider bandwidth and depth to the academics for our personnel in the Belize Coast Guard."
The agreement lasts for 5 years with the possibility of renewal.
