| James Kon |
EXECUTIVE Officer at the Ministry of Defence Mazveen Kaur Saggu is heading to the United States (US) to participate in the US Department of State’s premier professional exchange programme of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) entitled ‘ASEAN – Security Challenges’ from September 24 to October 12.
According to the Embassy of the United States of America in Brunei Darussalam, the project will provide participants a better understanding of US security and defence policies and the US perspective on key security challenges that the US and ASEAN member countries jointly face.
In addition, the project will examine the roles of international organisations and multilateral forums in addressing security threats. The programme will take place in four cities – Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco and Honolulu.
Mazveen Kaur Saggu met the embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires Scott E Woodard recently, who congratulated her on being selected for the programme.
Woodard said, “The US Embassy in Brunei Darussalam is excited to sponsor mutually beneficial opportunities like this to outstanding Bruneians seeking professional development to help forge closer ties between the US and Brunei Darussalam. The ‘ASEAN – Security Challenges’ programme in itself is exceptional as it will give Mazveen Kaur Saggu the opportunity to not only explore opportunities for cooperation between the US and ASEAN member countries, but also review a wide range of perspectives on shared challenges affecting domestic and global security.”
Mazveen Kaur Saggu said, “I am extremely honoured to take part in this prestigious educational programme offered by the US Department of State. I would also like to thank Brunei Darussalam’s Ministry of Defence for supporting my participation and encouraging me to represent the ministry and Brunei as a whole.
“Through this programme, I hope to enhance my knowledge and skills, as well as share my experiences with my counterparts, while learning about the best practices of the foreign policy and security aspects of the US. I believe this programme will contribute to my professional development as well as expand and strengthen my professional network with other professionals from the participating countries. I am truly humbled and sincerely grateful for the opportunity and recognition.”
The IVLP provides an opportunity to strengthen relationships between international participants and their American counterparts. The IVLP is one of the US Department of State’s most important exchange programmes, connecting current and emerging foreign leaders with the American people through short-term programmes to build mutual understanding on a wide range of issues. Nearly 200,000 individuals have participated in the programme, including more than 335 current or former chiefs of state or heads of government, and thousands of leaders from the public and private sectors.
More information on the IVLP can be found at https://eca.state.gov/ivlp.