The University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Sri Lanka Police signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer a three-year Bachelors of Arts in Applied Police Studies (as per Sri Lanka Qualification Framework Level 5) degree to the police officers above the rank of inspector of Sri Lanka police.
The MoU was signed on 12th December 2022 at the Ministry of Public Security under the patronage of the Honorable Minister Trian Alles, the Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Senior Prof. Sampath Amarathunga, Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramarathna, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Senior Prof. Sudantha Liyanage, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda and the Director of the External Degrees and Extension Courses Unit of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Prof. Ven. Pinnawala Sangasumana Thero.
The prime objective of this initiative is to provide an updated theoretical and applied knowledge of policing and other related social sciences and humanities contents to accomplish duties and responsibilities of the police officers effectively and efficiently. The degree programme offers to the officers of Sri Lanka police consists of a wide array of humanities and social sciences subjects including criminology, sociology, anthropology, economics, statistics, data analysis, geography, forensic science, English and information technology. Also, the new degree programme intends to produce a compassionate, resilient, self-motivated, optimistic, persevering, and open to change police personnel who are equipped with enhanced critical, analytical, and communication skills to analyze and understand multiple perspectives and issues encountered in the field to better serve individuals and communities. Further, the new degree programme aims to help police officers to develop leadership skills, take initiative and self- direction for professional development and engage in life-long learning. According to the MoU, Sri Lanka Police selects 150 qualified candidates every year and registers them at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura that manages all academic matters related to the degree programme. Lectures and examinations are scheduled to conduct in police training schools as per the MOU terms.
Highlighting the significance of the initiative, the IGP, C.D. Wickrmarathna stated that the police has been trying to introduce a programme of this nature for more than thirty years and was able to initiate thanks to the UGC Chairman and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. IGP thanked USJ and UGC for proactively supporting the programme. The coordinators of the programme, Prof. Damayanthi Bamunusinghe and Dr. Sampath Pushpakumara and senior police officers also participated the event
