Students key in protecting national security

The Education University of Hong Kong aims to nurture more students with a comprehensive understanding of national security through its newly established National Security and Legal Education Research Centre, says university president John Lee Chi-kin.

The center, which opened on Jan 9, will integrate national security and legal education into the university curriculum to strengthen and consolidate students' knowledge and understanding of national security and related laws.

The facility will team up with Hong Kong and Chinese mainland experts to compile training materials and offer self-financed courses for employees in local schools and public organizations.

The university, through the center, will be organizing regular national security education sharing sessions, seminars and a National Security Education Day event on April 15 annually.

Lee says the goal is to cultivate students with a relatively accurate view of national security, and build up their awareness in safeguarding national security from the legal aspect. Understanding the city's mechanism and efforts to safeguard national security is a precondition for becoming a teacher - a career that many EdUHK graduates will pursue.

At the center's opening ceremony, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said he's confident the facility will make significant contributions to Hong Kong and serve as a positive example for other stakeholders.

He highlighted the importance of linking an understanding of national security with an understanding of relevant laws, as the center's name suggests, and urged all sectors of the community to participate in national security education and promote the rule of law through joint efforts and coordination.

Starting from the 2025/26 academic year, all undergraduates at the EdUHK will be required to study national security and relevant laws and take up internships or engage in experiential learning on the mainland.

The university says the additional curriculum is to help students cope with national and global development trends.