Hong Kong police to launch international academy, degree program

Key facts

• Hong Kong police will launch the Hong Kong International Academy of Policing on November 11.
• A new Bachelor of Policing (Honours) (Security and Criminal Investigation) program will begin in March.
• The degree program is accredited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications.
• The program targets rank-and-file officers without a bachelor's degree.
• Officers admitted will be fully funded by the Force and must sign a service undertaking.
• The International Academy of Policing will coordinate over 20 key training courses and hold policing leadership forums.

Hong Kong police are set to launch the Hong Kong International Academy of Policing on November 11, aiming to create an international professional policing exchange platform. Concurrently, the Hong Kong Police College will introduce a new bachelor's degree program in March, making it the first government department approved to award such a degree.

The International Academy of Policing, according to Kelly Cheng Lai-ki, director of the Police College, will serve as an international exchange hub, consolidating frontline policing wisdom and promoting mutual learning. It will coordinate over 20 key training courses and host policing leadership forums on topics such as major event security, crowd management, major crime investigation, forensic science, and cybercrime investigation. Fu Yee-ting, principal of the School of Professional Development, stated the academy aims to enhance the Force's effectiveness and strengthen overseas cooperation.

The Bachelor of Policing (Honours) (Security and Criminal Investigation) programme has received accreditation from the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications. This program is designed for rank-and-file officers who do not hold a bachelor's degree, with about 40% of recent recruits already possessing a degree or higher. Cheung Hoi-yan, principal of the School of Specialised Learning, explained that the program will recruit at the end of the year and commence in March. It offers junior and senior entry routes, admitting over 80 and 40 students annually, respectively. The curriculum is taught bilingually and covers policing theory, criminal investigation, practical training, academic language, and a graduation project. Officers enrolled will receive full funding from the Force, with a requirement to sign a service undertaking for at least two years post-completion or compensate training costs.