Charles Sturt University (CSU) has been selected to deliver the prestigious Mid Career Training Program for the Indian Police Service (IPS) from 2014 to 2017.

The agreement to deliver the program was signed by the Director of the Indian Police College, Ms Aruna Bahuguna, and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts, Associate Professor Tracey Green at a ceremony at CSU's offices in Canberra on 30 July.

The program is funded by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs and will be delivered by CSU's Australian Graduate School of Policing & Security.

Professor Green said India requested that CSU provide an academically rigorous, innovative and engaging learning experience for IPS Superintendents.

"The CSU program is focused on building advanced professional policing and organisational practices, and will present strategic and operational policing skills, knowledge and understanding as well as current international policing practices," she said.

Six programs will be conducted over three years, which each including an intensive four-week session at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad, India, followed by a two-week study tour involving police agencies in Australia. The first session is due to commence at Hyderabad on Thursday 4 September.

"The IPS officers selected for the program represent the future senior leadership team for Indian policing.  Around 80 superintendents with at least ten years' service, many with Masters qualifications, will participate in each session," Professor Green said.

"By their tenth year of service, IPS officers are often responsible for police services for very large communities of two million people who differ ethnically, religiously, socially and socio-economically. They will command of up to 4 000 police personnel.  In some border regions, the security environment is extremely difficult where it is not uncommon for police to be attacked and killed. 

"This program exposes IPS officers to contemporary national and international developments in policing and security studies while networking with their peers and international colleagues and reflecting on their own approach to leadership." 

This is CSU's second contract with the Indian Police Service. Under the first three-year contract that commenced in 2010, 400 senior officers successfully completed CSU's professional training and development program. Around 450 senior officers will complete the new program over the next three years.

The program highlights CSU's international ties, as CSU staff will collaborate with the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and the United Kingdom College of Policing, while Australian State and Federal police agencies will benefit from taking part in the programs and will help host visits and presentations.