(Accra – Thursday, 5 February 2026) The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has formally matriculated over 110 postgraduate students into its academic programmes, marking a significant milestone in the Centre’s transition as a constituent college of the newly established National Defence University (NDU) of Ghana.
The ceremony brought together senior military leadership, university authorities, faculty members, staff, and students, as the Centre welcomed its first cohort of students under the National Defence University framework. The students were admitted into the Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security, Master of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security, and the Executive Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security programmes.
Welcoming the students, Commandant of KAIPTC, Air Vice Marshal David Anetey Akrong, described the Centre as more than a training institution, noting its role as a hub for critical thinking, leadership development and practical solutions to complex security challenges.
“KAIPTC stands not only as a training institution but as a space for critical thought, visible leadership and practical solutions to some of the most pressing security challenges of our time,” he said.
He reminded the students that their academic journey would involve confronting difficult and sometimes uncomfortable realities of conflict, peacebuilding and security governance, stressing that these discussions are grounded in lived human experiences across Africa and beyond.
“These are not abstract discussions. They reflect real human experiences and require intellectual discipline and a willingness to think beyond easy answers,” the Commandant noted.
Air Vice Marshal Akrong encouraged students to engage critically with ideas, question assumptions and learn from the diverse professional and cultural backgrounds within their classrooms, emphasizing that the training is intended to prepare them for leadership roles in peace operations, public institutions and civil society.
He further urged the students to approach their studies with discipline and purpose. “Excellence is not automatic. It requires commitment. Make the sacrifices of time, energy and resources count,” he advised.
The matriculation address was delivered by the President of the National Defence University, Air Vice Marshal Felix Adom Asante, who described the ceremony as historic both for KAIPTC and the NDU.
“This matriculation ceremony is particularly significant. You are the first group of students of this Centre to be matriculated under the National Defence University of Ghana,” he said.
Air Vice Marshal Asante explained that the establishment of the National Defence University brings together key defence, security and strategic institutions under a unified and autonomous public university, aimed at advancing world-class education and research in conflict, peace, security and defence studies.
“The National Defence University was formally established by Presidential Charter on 19 December 2024 as a strategic national institution of higher learning,” he stated, adding that the University is mandated to deliver multidisciplinary education for personnel of the armed forces, security agencies, government institutions and allied organisations.
He congratulated the students on earning admission to what he described as a prestigious institution, and urged them to see themselves as pioneers whose academic conduct and professional excellence would help shape the identity and reputation of the University.
The ceremony underscored KAIPTC’s evolving academic role within Ghana’s higher education landscape, while reaffirming its longstanding commitment to advancing peace, security and governance through rigorous scholarship and practical engagement.
