OSCE Border Management Staff College concludes third postgraduate Diploma in Border Security and Management for Senior Leadership

DUSHANBE, 20 September 2019 – The third Postgraduate Diploma in Border Security and Management for Senior Leadership course, a one-year blended learning programme, concluded today at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe (BMSC), Tajikistan. The concluding module of the programme took place from 16 to 20 September 2019. Twenty-one mid- to-senior-level border security and management officials took part in the programme. They represented Albania, Armenia, Australia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Tajikistan, Tunisia and Ukraine. The participants received insight into the contemporary security environment and leadership and management competencies. They were also introduced to mechanisms to prevent and combat existing and emerging security threats and challenges.

Programme participants presented their research findings to a panel of experts. Upon successful defense of their coursework, the participants received 60 ECTS credits, equivalent to level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework.

“This is the very first such class to graduate from the programme following its full accreditation by the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency (EKKA) last year. This marks an important milestone in the College’s history, and indeed the course’s history,” said Jonathan Holland, BMSC Director. “The international recognition is, however, accompanied by a profound sense of responsibility – both for those who study at the BMSC as well as the College itself – to maintain the high standards of education following the approval and trust granted by the accrediting body.”

Major General Istvan Samu, Special Adviser to Hungary’s Minister of the Interior, noted that “it is fascinating to observe how the participants’ thoughts and ideas transform under the impact of the Postgraduate Diploma programme and how the digested knowledge is subsequently utilized and reflected in their final coursework.”

The Postgraduate Diploma in Border Security and Management for Senior Leadership was designed and developed jointly with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF). It is one of the BMSC’s flagship core activities that aim at enhancing the professional skills of current and future border security managers according to international standards.

A variety of training and learning methods are applied throughout the programme, including tutored e-learning, presentations, lectures, follow-up discussions, group exercises and study visits.