At first glance, the missions of the National Gendarmerie and Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD) seem quite distinct. One is involved in action, the other in the production of knowledge. And yet, these missions overlap and complement each other.

"The contemporary security challenge is no longer won by force alone or by impulse alone. It is won by collective intelligence, by anticipation, by scientific knowledge, by technological innovation and by the ability to understand the social, economic and human dynamics that run through our societies," emphasizes Major General Martin Faye.

It was with this conviction that the High Commander of the National Gendarmerie visited Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) at the head of a large delegation to formalize a partnership with the university. In General Faye's view, modern security is inseparable from knowledge; in other words, it requires highly trained officers capable of conceptualizing, documenting, evaluating, and continuously improving actions. "It demands a gendarmerie that engages with academia, just as it calls for a university open to the operational realities of the state."

Through this partnership, the general hopes to create a lasting structure for the academic paths of gendarmerie personnel, encouraging access to master's programs, doctoral schools, and applied research. In short, the aim is "to foster a genuine culture of knowledge within the Institution."

But this contribution will not be one-sided. The National Gendarmerie will open its field research sites to the laboratories, research teams, and students of UCAD, providing them with original research questions, data, and rare operational expertise. This approach aims to enrich national scientific output and strengthen the social relevance of research. This leads the Rector of UCAD, Professor Alioune Badara Kandji, to emphasize that the National Gendarmerie will make a significant contribution to the professionalization of university programs.

Specifically, the rector explains, this partnership provides for the creation of joint laboratories and research programs in various fields such as cybercrime, cybersecurity, cyberdefense, artificial intelligence, advanced processing of big data, geopolitics of threats, crisis management, as well as the study of new forms of statistical modeling of criminal phenomena, among others.

Ultimately, both parties have made the bet of bringing together the power of knowledge and the power of action, for the building of a solid human capital, guaranteeing reliable, viable and sustainable development.