For the first time, a delegation from the Zimbabwe National Defense University (ZNDU) visited the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) on 9 July 2018.
The 20-member delegation was led by Brigadier General Christopher Sibanda.
In his remarks, Rear Admiral Roberto Q Estioko AFP (Ret) PhD MNSA, NDCP President thanked the ZNDU for including the NDCP in its itinerary.
Rear Admiral Estioko said, “Your visit is a historic milestone, not only for our institutions but also for our bilateral relations.”
The ZNDU delegates were briefed by about the NDCP’s organization, mandate, functions, and programs. They were also given a presentation on the “Role of the Military in National Security and Development” delivered by Col Paul Anthony Guerrero MNSA from the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (OJ3) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
NDCP officials and faculty interacted with the delegates on topics including the South China Sea, communist insurgency, peace process, conflict resiliency, and research in defense and security policy-making.
The delegates, which included students from Botswana, Malawi, and Pakistan, visited the NDCP as part of ZNDU’s familiarization visits to defense and security institutions in the Philippines.
As an important feature of its international defense and security engagement (IDSE), the NDCP interacts with defense and security academic institutions such as the ZNDU. The goal is to foster greater understanding and explore areas of cooperation to strengthen bilateral relations.