Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher, Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production, witnessed the graduation ceremony of new classes of students from the Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies.

The graduating courses included Course No. 49 of the Higher War College, Course No. 55 of the National Defence College, Course No. 75 General Staff, Courses No. 47 and 48 Specialized Staff from the Command and Staff College, and Course No. 27 for the Qualification of Formation Commanders.

The courses included students from Egypt and a number of brotherly and friendly countries, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The ceremony was attended by Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces; General Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army; and General Khaled Haftar, Chief of General Staff of the Libyan National Army.

A number of Ministers; Commanders of the main branches; a number of Senior Armed Forces Commanders; Military Attachés accredited to the Arab Republic of Egypt; a number of former Armed Forces Commanders; public figures; and media representatives also attended the ceremony.

Major General Mohamed Mahmoud Awad, Director of the Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies, delivered a speech in which he referred to the continuous support provided by the General Command of the Armed Forces for developing the military qualification and scientific research system at the Academy, with the aim of preparing cadres and leaders capable of keeping pace with the requirements of the modern age and all new developments in various fields.

This was followed by displaying a documentary film highlighting the establishment and development of the educational system within the Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies, as well as the stages of preparation and qualification for students, including Egyptian commanders and officers, international students, and civilians from various state bodies and institutions throughout the different courses.

A segment entitled “Cooperation That Shapes Decision-Making” was then presented, followed by a model political-military exercise entitled “A Nation’s Decision”, which demonstrated how to deal with a number of emergency situations.

The Chief of the Armed Forces Training Authority announced the graduation results of the courses. A number of students then presented the plaques of the courses to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This was followed by the announcement by the Director of the Armed Forces Officers Affairs Department the decision to grant academic degrees and honor the top graduates.

Lieutenant General Ashraf Salem Zaher decorated the top graduates with medals and presented certificates of appreciation to the distinguished students in recognition of their excellence throughout their period of study at the Academy.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces delivered a speech in which he conveyed the greetings and appreciation of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to the graduates. He congratulated them on their graduation from one of the most important strongholds of strategic thought and national awareness-building.

He affirmed the keenness of the General Command of the Armed Forces to develop the scientific and research institutions of the Armed Forces so that they may continue to fulfill their noble role in qualifying and preparing new generations who possess strategic vision and the ability to deal optimally with various challenges, while always seeking to open new and innovative horizons for a bright future.

He also expressed his pride in the presence of students from brotherly and friendly countries, who will serve as ambassadors and pioneers in strengthening the paths of cooperation and joint action to confront the challenges surrounding our region and the world. He wished them success in serving their homelands and their Armed Forces. (Source & Photo © Egyptian Ministry of Defense)