The uni of Sheffield’s Career Service is recruiting for Hong Kong’s Police Force

The uni has been slammed for supporting the ‘undemocratic’ regime


The University of Sheffield’s Career Connect service has launched a job role for a Probationary Inspector for the Hong Kong Police Force.

The move has been met with criticism from those who feel that the university should not be supporting an organisation with links to extreme violence and political oppression.

A petition which has already been signed by over 250 students lists the “deep concern” and “disappointment” over the matter, and a local councillor has even written to VC Koen Lamberts to demand the removal.

Sheffield Stands with Hong Kong, the group behind the petition, said: “There is a credible concern for Hong Kong Police Forces’ illegitimacy stemming from its violation of human rights.

“In fact, after the police sieged several universities in Hong Kong, the SU Council made a statement to declare the SU’s support for the democracy movement.

“We see no reasons why Career Connect would want to forfeit the future of Sheffield students to a corrupt employer. By continuing HKPF recruitment on the platform, both the University and the SU are risking students’ rights to democracy and freedom.”

The job description for the police service, which has come under massive international scrutiny for violence and oppression, includes the need for “strength of character” and  “judgement to look beyond the obvious.”

The job description on the university’s official career site

Dominic Fairbrass, an SU councillor for the last academic year, said: “The Hong Kong police force is an organisation which routinely and enthusiastically promotes police brutality, extrajudicial killings and detentions of democratic protesters.

“To see the university being complicit in these actions is disappointing to say the least. The fact that this is taking place in light of countless reports of abuse and discrimination against Hong Kong students within Sheffield is disgraceful, and for the university to plead ignorance as they continue to support police brutality is not enough.”

The University of Sheffield has been contacted for comment.
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