Attending the ceremony were Senior Lieutenant General, Dr. Nguyen Khanh Toan, Deputy Minister of Public Security (MPS), Major General Tran Ba Thieu, Director General of the Force Building General Department; and leaders from units and universities under the Ministry of Public Security, representatives from the Organizing Office of the Program 165 and the Ministry of Education and Training.

As for the United States of America, participants included Mr. Christopher Hodges, Minister Counselor – American Embassy to Vietnam, Mr. Brodie Remington, Deputy President of the University of Maryland.

As for the PPA, participants included Major General, Prof.Dr Nguyen Xuan Yem, Director of the PPA, comrades in the academy’s Directorate Board, leaders of departments, faculties, subjects and centers as well as 40 students attending the training program.

Major General, Prof.Dr Nguyen Xuan Yem, Director of the PPA spoke to opening the ceremony

This Professional Master’s Degree Program is not only the first cooperation in police training between The PPA and University of Maryland but also the first one in master training with other countries of the Ministry of Public Security. Since 2008, with the permission and guidance of Leaders of Ministry of Public Security, The PPA has studied and built up master training Program on Criminal Justice – a joint venture between the Vietnam PPA and University of Maryland – one of the leading universities in the US, especially in the field of training masters of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

After nearly 3 years, with the diligence, goodwill of both sides and the supports of Leaders of Ministry of Public Security, leaders of ministry of education and training and managing board of Program 165, in August 2010, the Vietnam PPA and University of Maryland signed “Contract on Professional Master’s Degree Program in Justice leadership” with the sponsor of Program 165. Since February 2011, with the permission from Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training, the course has been carried out.

The course is aimed at widening and providing students with update and specialized knowledge on criminal justice and crime prevention in Vietnam and in the world.

Overview of the opening ceremony

The total time of the course is 18 months, mainly taught by lecturers from University of Maryland. Students will write and present their theses in English. They are going to be given 6 months to write their theses and they will have 1 month to edit their papers in the US.

Those who attend the course are police officers working in different general bureaus, commands, departments, offices, institutes, training institutions, local police stations of Vietnam people’s police force. These students are university graduates and they have passed the entrance examination held at the PPA which included two subjects: General theory on the State and the Law marked by lecturers at the PPA and English marked by lecturers from University of Maryland.

Speaking at the ceremony, Senior Lieutenant General, Dr. Nguyen Khanh Toan, Deputy Minister of Public Security reiterated this program plays an important part in implementing other cooperation of the ministry of public Security. The success of this program will lay the foundation for other training cooperation activities between other police training institutions in Vietnam and the US. He also offered both site to closely cooperate to prepare well for the Program as planned.

Senior Lieutenant General, Dr. Nguyen Khanh Toan, Deputy Minister of Public Security reiterated the success of this program will lay the foundation for other training cooperation activities

Mr. Brodie Remington, Deputy President of the University of Maryland also affirmed that they will introduce professional faculties as well as send professional and prestigious lecturers to Vietnam.

Mr. Brodie Remington, Deputy President of the University of Maryland spoke at the ceremony

Also at the ceremony, Captain Cao Hoang Long, on behalf of the students, expressed their deep appreciation to the MPS, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Steering Committee of Program 165, the PPA and the University of Maryland. He also reiterated they would try their best to fulfill well the course and execute seriously the course’s regulation. 

At the closing ceremony, the representatives took photograph together and planted a memorial tree at the PPA.

Xuân Thanh