| James Kon |
PARTICIPANTS of the 14th Executive Development Programme (EDP) for senior government officials conducted by the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) lauded the benefits of joining and completing the three-month course.
The closing ceremony of the 14th EDP was held at the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies. The guest of honour, Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof presented the certificates to the recipients.
This year’s participants comprised 26 senior Royal Brunei Armed Forces officers, a MinDef senior officer, two senior officers from the Prime Minister’s Office and an officer from the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF).
Superintendent Pang Teck Ann of the RBPF in an interview yesterday said, “This programme is an eye opener to see challenges and weaknesses with greater details.
“From the lessons, participants were able to practise and analyse strategies.”
He added, “It is my hope to share the new knowledge within my organisation.”
Meanwhile, Poh Kui Choon of the MinDef highlighted, “The course was very intensive and enriching. We learnt a variety of public policies with new perspectives.
“The course provided participants with new knowledge, skills and tools to solve problems related to public policies by analysing, formulating and evaluating them.
“Through the programme, we were also introduced to new leadership and management techniques.”
Lieutenant Colonel (U) Don Giovanni bin Abdul Rahman of the Royal Brunei Air Force said, “I believe that we all learnt something new every day, be it professionally or in our daily life.
“Our group was very fortunate to have 16 faculty members from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.
“We learnt a multitude of topics from international and environmental economics, to public and environmental policies, as well as policy analysis and planning, strategic studies, political science, conflict analysis and resolution.”
He said, “I appreciate how economics and policies play an important role in our society and to a bigger extent, our country Brunei Darussalam. All lectures are relevant to how we can help achieve Brunei Vision 2035.”