Hong Kong police to launch international academy, reveal details of new degree

Hong Kong's police force has announced plans to establish the Hong Kong International Academy of Policing, an academy dedicated to offering specialized courses for officers from other countries. The academy, set to open on November 11, will share its premises with the Police College in Wong Chuk Hang, where recruits are currently trained and officers receive continuous education.

Kelly Cheng Lai-ki, director of the Police College, revealed that the academy will consolidate generations of frontline wisdom within the force into an international exchange hub, enabling both the sharing of Hong Kong's strengths and learning from others' best practices. The academy will offer roughly 20 courses covering various skills, including tactical leadership, counterterrorism, and explosive ordnance handling, alongside organizing an international policing leadership forum.

In addition to this, the Police College will start offering a bachelor's degree program in security and criminal investigation to selected junior officers. Students will be chosen at the end of this year, with classes commencing in March 2024, and the first cohort of graduates expected in 2029. The curriculum, fully funded by the government, combines theoretical and practical learning.

Serving officers who choose to pursue this degree will continue their daily duties while completing language courses, a practicum at designated police units, and a final project under the supervision of superintendent-level officers who have earned degrees from prestigious universities like Tsinghua University or the University of Cambridge.

The bachelor's degree program has already received accreditation at Level 5 under Hong Kong's Education Bureau's qualifications framework, equivalent to a bachelor's degree at local universities. Currently, 40 percent of constables recruited since last year lack a bachelor's degree. This new program aims to enhance officers' personal qualities, improve service quality, and provide career progression opportunities.

Enrollment is open to 80 spots for junior police officers with secondary education qualifications and 40 for those with a higher diploma or associate degree, targeting recent recruits who have completed basic police training since 2022 or later.