London, May 24 (QNA) - Military cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United Kingdom is one of the most important areas that witness continuous development over the years. Training Qatari cadres in British police and military colleges to obtain the best training and distinguished academic qualification is one of the most important forms of this decades-long cooperation.
In this context, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Britain is one of the most important and best destinations for Qatar students nominated by the military authorities to train them, refine their skills and talents, and build their capabilities, in addition to the Academy's cooperation with military colleges inside the country in the field of training and rehabilitation.
The history of this Academy goes back 200 years, as it was founded in 1802. It is the main center for training British army officers and a large number of candidates and officers from different countries of the world.
Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Major-General Duncan Francis Capps said that the Academy is proud that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani are among the most prominent world leaders who graduated from it.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst said that Academy is proud that a great leader like HH the Amir is one of its graduates, adding that there are seven leaders in the world currently among the Academy's graduates.
The Commandant stressed that the development of the State of Qatar in the military field is due to the vision of the wise leadership in this regard, expressing pride regarding the confidence that the State of Qatar has in Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to train many candidates annually.
The Military Academy aims to prepare future leaders, as leadership is the focus of all academic curricula, and all students study the same training and scientific programs, regardless of how they join Sandhurst. The Academys programs change and develop with the changing nature of the conflict in the world to meet the new requirements.
He pointed out that the academic side at Sandhurst amounts to 10 percent of the education, while the military side receives 90 percent, as the candidate is educated through an integrated material on the military, the study of war, defense and general culture. He noted that the number of Qatari students in the Academy is currently 11, at various levels. The candidate is enrolled in affiliated institute for three months in order to master the English language and the required culture that enables him to adapt to the teaching and training environment.
In their meeting with QNA, a number of Qatari students expressed their happiness at joining this prestigious Academy, reviewing aspects of the qualification, training and education that students receive according to the Academy's program.
Student Hassan bin Jabr Mohammed Al-Thani said that studying at this academy, in which HH the Amir and HH the Father Amir studied, is a source of pride, stressing that this Academy is famous due to many factors, the most important of which is the great British experience in military matters and the number of leaders around the world who studied here, as well as keeping the education and training in line with the latest global methods in this field.
Student Abdelaziz Ibrahim bin Matar Al Mohannadi emphasized the great experience that the Academy possesses in the field of military training, as it gives the candidate the important characteristics of a leader, including boldness to enable him to set an example for his soldiers and take responsibility in the most difficult times.
As for student Ghanem Ali Al Misnad, he said that the interaction within the Academy with more than 20 different nationalities around the world gives the candidate a cultural background and introduces him to the customs and traditions in most countries of the world, in addition to giving him great military experience that he derives from studying in the Academy or through his contact with foreign students from a large number of countries around the world. For his part, Abdulaziz Ibrahim Al Mohannadi affirmed the academy's great expertise in the field of military training.
Sandhurst is the spiritual home of the British military, and its establishment went through several stages. The first of these stages was the founding of the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich, London in 1741, but the year 1793 marked the end of this Academy. After the war, the commander of the British forces at the time announced the establishment of Sandhurst Academy in 1802, which became ready to receive student officers in 1812. This Academy continued to operate until the start of World War II, when studies at the Academy stopped for 8 years.
In 1947, after the end of World War II, the graduates of the Academy gathered and revived it again in its current location in the town of Sandhurst, in order to receive new candidates from Britain and a large number of countries around the world. (QNA)