HONOLULU — Today 94 senior military and civilian government leaders from 34 countries throughout the region graduated from the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies “Executive Course” in Honolulu.

The Fellows received their diplomas from retired Army Lt. Gen. Ed Smith, director of the Center. The Executive Course is an intensive 10-week course focusing on building relationships among future leaders and decision makers within the region.  Its curriculum emphasizes the non-warfighting aspects of security and international relations, and challenges Fellows to develop a regional perspective.  The Executive Course Fellows discussed national policy, and how the economic, diplomatic, political, cultural and military elements of power affect stability and security of the region as a whole.

Countries represented at the course were: American Samoa, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, India, Japan, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saipan, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, United States, and Vietnam.

The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies addresses regional and global security issues, inviting military and civilian representatives of the United States and 45 Asia-Pacific nations to its comprehensive program of courses and conferences, both in Hawaii and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.  The Center supports the U.S. Pacific Command’s objective of developing professional and personal ties among national security establishments throughout the region.  APCSS focuses on a multilateral and multi-dimensional approach to defining and addressing regional security issues and concerns.  The most beneficial result is building relationships of trust and confidence among future leaders and decision-makers within the region.