On August 22, nearly 45 officials who are enrolled in two courses at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) visited CHDS. Dean of Students and Outreach, Major General (ret.) John Thompson, greeted the delegation, headed by WHINSEC Commandant Colonel Glenn Huber. General Thompson emphasized the fundamental role of the armed forces of the region served by CHDS and WHINSEC. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Professor Manuel Lora gave an insightful presentation on the capabilities, academic offerings, and regional presence of CHDS.

The delegation, composed of a diverse group of officials from Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, participated in a rich dialogue with CHDS professors. Professors Guillermo Pacheco and Alejandro Arbeláez spoke about “Security Cooperation in the Inter-American System” and “Institutional Coordination to Achieve Sustainable Success in Security and Defense,” respectively, emphasizing the importance of cooperation at both the interagency and interstate levels for successful solutions to security and defense challenges in the region.

Following the presentations, a significant time was devoted to a group dialogue, in which many different views were offered on the topics discussed, as well as other shared issues of interest. The representatives of both institutions agreed on the importance of the need to approach these regional security and defense issues with multidimensional and holistic solutions.