Ethics College Graduates Transforming Lives: Congratulations to First Batch of PIC Students

2024-08-08 19:20 Last Updated At：19:28

Ethics College holds first graduation ceremony

The Correctional Services Department (CSD) held the first graduation ceremony of the Ethics College at Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution today (August 8) to present graduation certificates to persons in custody (PICs) who have completed the Diploma of Applied Education programme.

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Ethics College holds first graduation ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Ethics College holds first graduation ceremony Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

All of the first batch of 75 PIC students of the Ethics College, including 60 male PICs from Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution and 15 female PICs from Lo Wu Correctional Institution, have successfully completed the programme.

Addressing the graduation ceremony, the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, extended his heartfelt congratulations to the graduates. He said that the successful graduation of PIC students not only shows the achievement of their hard work, but is also a demonstration of their perseverance in self-improvement and determination to transform themselves, and of their resolute belief in preparing for a new life. He encouraged the graduates to maintain a proactive and positive attitude, whether they continue their studies or find employment in the future, so as to meet challenges ahead, embark on a new chapter in life and make contributions to society.

Mr Tang thanked various sectors of society for their support to the Ethics College, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for supporting the College's work; the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education for providing the programme and arranging teachers to teach at the College; and various organisations and volunteers for offering assistance to the PIC students.

Mr Tang also praised CSD staff for their efforts not only to organise study and career planning talks and extra-curricular activities covering physical education and arts, Chinese history and culture, and national education but also for setting up a flag-raising team at the College to enhance students' national identity and foster their whole-person development.

He said that the CSD will continue to provide whole-person education and courses for the second batch of 75 PIC students, and will also explore the introduction of courses for further studies to increase the upward mobility opportunities of PICs after their reintegration to society.

Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Ms Anita Fung said in the ceremony that she was pleased to see that the PIC students not only could acquire academic knowledge and practical skills, but also develop a good character and positive values during the learning process to prepare themselves for reintegrating into society. She hoped that the PIC students will maintain their enthusiasm for learning, strive for self-enhancement and make contributions to the country and Hong Kong in their future work and life, in line with the Jockey Club's commitment to acting continuously for the betterment of society.

The Council Chairman of the HKMU, Dr Conrad Wong, said that the name of the Ethics College reflects the education philosophy of the HKMU. He hoped that the PIC students could establish virtues, meritorious services and good reputations, and become role models for others in society. Through the programme, the HKMU provides diversified learning pathways to help PIC students acquire various skills for catching up in social development, obtaining academic qualifications for employment or further studies, and contributing to society in future.

In a sharing session, PIC students thanked their family members and correctional officers for their support and encouragement, which have reinforced their determination to make positive changes and successfully complete the programme.

Young Rehabilitated Persons Explore Innovation and History in Greater Bay Area Tour

CSD organises Greater Bay Area Experience Exchange Tour for young rehabilitated persons

Following the inaugural Greater Bay Area Experience Exchange Tour for young rehabilitated persons held in February this year, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) organised another three-dayGreater Bay Area Experience Exchange Tour from June 26 to today (June 28), taking young rehabilitated persons to visit various enterprises and places in Shenzhen to learn about the latest developments in innovation and technology in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as the local history and culture.

Participants of the tour were mainly young female rehabilitated persons who had been involved in the "black-clad violence". The 14 participants included young rehabilitated persons both under supervision and beyond the supervision period.

On the initial day (June 26) of the tour, participants first visited a technology company in Shenzhen to learn about the research, development and application of robots in the area of healthcare. They also toured the former headquarters of the Dongjiang Column and the Tuyang martyrs memorial park to gain an understanding of the history of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and to pay tribute to martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation, thereby enhancing their affection for and sense of belonging to the country. On the following day (June 27), the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, led participants to visit Dajiang Innovations Technology Company Limited to learn about the company's development of unmanned aircraft systems.

Today, participants visited the Shenzhen Space Museum, where they gained first-hand knowledge of the nation's achievements in aerospace technology development through immersive experiences. They then visited the "Futian Wings" Pengcheng Low-Altitude UAV Exhibition Center and the Huaqiangbei Global AI Application Scenarios Center to learn about the nation's developments in the low-altitude economy and AI.

A rehabilitated person, Ah Yan(pseudonym), who has completed her supervision said that she previously held misconceptions about the nation and was incited and misled by newspapers to commit rioting, for which she was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment. Upon learning about the CSD'sGreater Bay Area Experience Exchange Tour for rehabilitated persons, she took the initiative to enrol. This exchange tour allowed her to witness the rapid technological advancement of the nation and to gain a renewed understanding of the motherland. She is determined to turn over a new leaf and actively reintegrate into society. She expressed hope that she could contribute to the nation's development in the future.

TheGreater Bay Area Experience Exchange Tour is one of the key initiatives under the Project PATH, which aims to enable participants to learn about Chinese history and witness the nation's prosperity and progress through visits, thereby fostering a sense of belonging to the country and national identity. The Department will continue to organise similar activities to help rehabilitated persons get back on the right track. Rehabilitated persons who are interested in participating after release may visit the relevant webpage: https://www.csd.gov.hk/english/reh/reh_community/reh_community_ppplus/ppplus.html.

Ethics College Graduates Transforming Lives: Congratulations to First Batch of PIC Students

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