The first mentions of the military elite at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy date back 400 years. At that time, Hetman Petro Sahaidachny joined the Kyiv Brotherhood with the Zaporizhian army. You too are now part of this historical line of Ukraine's military leaders who have joined Mohyla. But today the world has fundamentally different demands on each of you. Strategic leadership involves the ability to create the rules of the game, work with concepts, design complex systems, and engage in dialogue with other players. So good luck, colleagues! Thank you for your cooperation," — Oleksandr Savruk congratulated the graduates of the 'Strategic Leadership in Ukraine's Security and Defense Sector' program.

On March 5, strategic leaders received master's degrees in public administration in Ukraine's security and defense sector.

During 14 months of study, they analyzed the complexity of the current and future security environment, its impact on key state systems, government, and interagency cooperation, studied concepts of institutional leadership, and modeled complex systems in the security and defense sector.

Under the guidance of Helena Savruk, Ukraine's strategic leaders have been studying at kmbs since 2017. This is facilitated by the School's focus on developing leadership capabilities necessary for strategic-level managers and the trust of international partners in the expertise of kmbs faculty.

Linda Smith, the UK Special Advisor on Defense, noted during the ceremony that the program is supported due to the additional value participants gain while studying at kmbs. She highlighted the international level of the School's expertise and at the same time the deep involvement of the faculty in the Ukrainian context.

With the completion of an important stage, the graduates were also congratulated by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, François-Philippe Champagne. He emphasized: "Each of you has already served this country, but in the new world with its challenges, the skills acquired in the program and the community of like-minded individuals will assist you in this leadership journey." The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that the military cooperation program continues to fund kmbs programs for strategic leaders and strategic architects for another two years. He called these investments Canada's contribution to the reform of Ukraine and a better future for every Ukrainian.

The Community of Strategic Leaders in Ukraine's Security and Defense Sector is Growing