Police Lieutenant Colonel Muktar-Din Taujoo, from Mauritius, graduated on 9 December from the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies ?Executive Course? in Honolulu. Mr. Taujoo received his diploma from retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Hank C. Stackpole, president of the Center. Mr. Taujoo joined 92 other senior military and civilian government leaders from 36 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region that attended the 12-week course to study regional security.

The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies is a Department of Defense regional study, conference and research center. The center?s mission is to provide a forum where current and future military and civilian leaders from Asia-Pacific nations gather to enhance security cooperation through executive education, professional exchange, and policy-relevant research.

Countries represented at the course were: American Samoa, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Chile, Comoros, East Timor, Fiji, Guam, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Niue Island, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

The Executive Course students 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. To date, the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies has had representatives from 45 countries attend the College and has hosted or co-hosted conferences/seminars with nearly 5,700 participants from 65 countries.