The 8th General Assembly Annual Meeting (GAAM) of the Association for Police Training in Asia (APTA) took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 15, 2024. Co-hosted by the Korean National Police University and the People Police Academy of Vietnam, the event welcomed 49 delegates from 17 institutions, including 15 APTA member institutions and two Dialogue Partners: the ASEANAPOL Secretariat and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Established in 2017 with 13 inaugural members, APTA has grown to 23 member institutions, reflecting its increasing influence and significance in police training across Asia. Lt. Gen. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Huong, President of the People Police Academy, opened the meeting by welcoming delegates to the first in-person General Assembly Annual Meeting since the lifting of travel restrictions. He also invited participants to an international scientific seminar on policing in the digital age. Following his remarks, Supt. Intendant General Lee Jae Young, President of APTA, officially declared the meeting open. He reviewed APTA's achievements over the past seven years and presented the strategic roadmap for 2023-2028, focusing on enhancing organizational efficiency, developing educational and training programs, and strengthening APTA's role as a collaborative platform for its members.
APTA reaffirmed its commitment to building strong partnerships with member institutions and Dialogue Partners to enhance capacity-building and training programs for law enforcement agencies across member countries, including personnel exchanges among police academies. The meeting unanimously elected the President of Korean National Police University as the President of APTA. The President of the Indonesia National Police Academy and the President of the University of Internal Affairs of Mongolia were elected as Vice Presidents for the 2024-2027 term. The Timor Leste Police Academy was also approved as APTA's 23rd member.
Future venues and hosting institutions for the General Assembly Annual Meetings (GAAM) and the Police Academy Student Festival in Asia (PASFA) were decided: 9th GAAM and PASFA: Indonesia National Police University in 2025; 10th GAAM and PASFA: Mongolia Police Academy in 2026; 11th GAAM and PASFA: Philippines National Police Academy in Manila in 2027; Additionally, the Royal Thai Police University confirmed that the upcoming PASFA will be held in Thailand in September 2024.
On behalf of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, Sr. Lt. Col. Nguyen Huu Ngoc discussed the importance of collaboration with partners and like-minded institutions to enhance the policing capabilities of member police forces. He emphasized the need for joint efforts in developing training curricula tailored to regional law enforcement needs to reduce global policing gaps. Following the successful 8th APTA General Assembly meeting, the People Police Academy of Vietnam hosted an international scientific seminar on policing in the digital age. Chaired by Lt. Gen. Prof. Dr. Tran Minh Huong, the seminar brought together 350 researchers and practitioners to share academic research and strategic approaches to enhancing policing capabilities in training institutions, with a focus on various aspects of digital-era policing.
The 8th General Assembly Annual Meeting of APTA and the People Police Academy’s international seminar concluded with expressions of gratitude from the Chairman for the participants' active engagement. These events reinforced the network of police training institutions among APTA members, marking significant progress in enhancing policing capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. APTA's commitment to cooperation, capacity building, and partnerships was evident, underscoring its crucial role in advancing police training in Asia.
“Together We Keep This Region Safe”