RSU Signs an Agreement to Establish Internal Security Academy

On 25 October 2022, the Ministry of the Interior, the State Police College, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), and the University of Latvia (UL) signed an agreement to establish the Internal Security Academy.

Establishing the Internal Security Academy will improve the quality of education of law enforcement personnel, prepare high-level specialists for the needs of internal affairs and other law enforcement agencies, and attract the best teaching staff to implement joint study programmes. It will also create a modern infrastructure for training.

The parties involved have agreed on cooperation objectives, a model for managing and organising the academy, joint study programmes, and sharing resources. Thus, on 25 October, the Minister of the Interior Kristaps Eklons, RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons, UL Rector Prof. Indriķis Muižnieks, and the Director of the State Police College Dmitrijs Homenko signed the agreement to establish the Internal Security Academy.

‘I would like to thank Rīga Stradiņš University, the University of Latvia, and the State Police College for this important step in improving the professional competence of internal affairs officers! We have gained valuable partners with whom we will be able to implement common study programmes and who will be able to attract the most experienced personnel from each of these educational institutions.

The Internal Security Academy will contribute to the training of professional staff for law enforcement, improve the quality of pre-trial investigations and operational work, and reduce critical staff shortages in the long term.

By signing the agreement, it will be possible to begin working on developing study programmes so that training can start as soon as next autumn,’ Eklons said.

‘Cooperation is the key word when it comes to training high-level specialists for the needs of law enforcement authorities. As a research university, RSU will make an important contribution not only to establishing joint study programmes, but also to developing research activities within the framework of the Internal Security Academy.

RSU has extensive experience in training internal affairs officers – we have excellent study programmes and new ones are being developed, there are knowledgeable Latvian and foreign lecturers, and research is ongoing.

That is why today, with the agreement on the establishment of the Internal Security Academy, we can say that RSU is not taking on new challenges, but rather is moving to a higher level of quality,’ says RSU Rector Prof. Pētersons.

‘Participating in the consortium is a new challenge for the University of Latvia, which it undertakes with awareness of its responsibility towards the quality of higher education in general and towards the training of professional staff for the needs of law enforcement agencies in particular. Security in the broad sense of the word, including both physical and legal as well as other aspects of security, is one of the most important elements of a state governed by the rule of law. Its impact is immeasurable when it comes to people’s trust in their country, their desire to belong to it, feel protected by it, and protect it themselves, should the need arise,’ says UL Rector Prof. Muižnieks. 

‘Today’s world is developing very fast, so we must be able to continuously find more innovative and effective solutions, including in the training process. Establishing the Internal Security Academy will provide a broader opportunity to attract the best experts from Latvia and abroad. I have no doubt that this is the most effective way to promote and develop the training process, to prepare qualified, educated, and knowledgeable professionals, thus promoting a safer Latvia. Our goal is to create a modern and state-of-the-art training environment where the highest level of knowledge, experience, and skills can be acquired, and this is the way to achieve that,’ says Homenko, Director of the State Police College.

The agreement on establishing the Internal Security Academy includes a commitment to develop and jointly implement six unique professional study programmes, to attract the best educators, industry specialists, and lecturers from specialised universities abroad, as well as to develop scientific research in areas related to internal security and law enforcement. The Internal Security Academy is expected to offer short-cycle professional higher education as well as studies on a bachelor’s and master’s level.

The development plans of the Internal Security Academy foresee the construction of a new study building at Ezermalas iela and the possibility of its shared use.

On 7 February 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the establishment of the Internal Security Academy by the Ministry of the Interior, the State Police College, RSU, and UL.