New Hong Kong civil service training school to help create a ‘global vision and strong ethos’
- New Civil Service College head says main job is to get more resources so students can learn leadership skills and world affairs
- Lack of staff and weak structure main problems at civil service training centre, new head Oscar Kwok says
The main objective of Hong Kong’s new Civil Service College is not to foster patriotism among government staff, but to make training more structured as well as give them a sense of duty and a stronger global vision, the head of the institute has said.
Former deputy police commissioner Oscar Kwok Yam-shu emphasised that to enforce Beijing’s policy of “patriots administering Hong Kong”, the college’s priorities also included teaching and assessing civil servants on national identity, security and constitutional affairs, so that they could be trusted to work in the administration.
Yet, the seasoned trainer warned that patriotic education was “destined to fail” if it just stayed at a rational or intellectual level, and was not elevated to the emotional level to include elements such as personal sharing to touch government employees.
Kwok also said his primary role as the college head was to fight for more resources to build a broader educational framework, so civil servants at different levels could learn more about leadership and international affairs.
“Geopolitical developments would affect people’s lives and the city’s governance, so the civil service needs to have a stronger global vision, and be more sensitive and knowledgeable about international politics,” he said on Wednesday.
