Education Research Knowledge and Education Day takes off with a wealth of inspiration Written on Friday, March 27, 2026 ‘Welcome aboard flight PA2030’. This is what more than 1,000 Netherlands Police Academy colleagues heard at the start of their journey on the Knowledge and Education Day that was recently held. For this recurring event, a special ‘airport’ had been opened at the Orpheus Theatre in Apeldoorn: PA Airport. The colleagues then stepped into this highly inspiring airport, where ideas and new insights regarding knowledge, research and education were shared. ‘It’s great to be here and see you all’, said director Leonard Kok in his word of welcome. The day offered a mix of activities organized by Police Academy staff and external experts. Teachers, lectors and researchers, programme managers and board members shared new insights with the audience, for instance on shaping the professional identity. Future-proof policing and educational innovation were also addressed. These discussions took various forms, such as panel discussions, workshops, dare-to-ask sessions, and TED talks. Meeting, experiencing and relaxing Former Special Forces Medic Derek de Vries was one of the speakers. Futurist Richard van Hooijdonk and anthropologist Jitske Kramer were also present. You could attend an interactive show titled ‘Until it is what it should be’, in which police officers and actors invited participants to try a different way of seeing, feeling and asking. Teachers, researchers, educational experts, planners, and other employees met one another and had the opportunity to experience things or simply relax together. New Strategic Agenda The Knowledge and Education Day was the perfect time to embark on a journey together, catch up, and look to the future. Director Leonard Kok also gave the audience an insight into what is in store for the Police Academy for the next few years. What is flight PA2030’s course? This is described in the Strategic Agenda for the Police Academy (SAPA), entitled ‘Learning to stand firm’. This is a reference to ‘Standing firm in this day and age’, the Strategic Agenda for the police. ‘Standing firm is not a given’, according to Leonard. ‘It requires education, training, knowledge, and research. We, as Police Academy, have an important role to play in this respect. The new SAPA does not contain sharp bends; we’re not going to do something completely different from tomorrow on. But the SAPA does determine the course and direction of our work over the coming years.’ To conclude, the Knowledge and Education Day, Leonard presented a framed version of the SAPA to Jaap van Delden of the Force Command Team. If you would like to learn more about Learning to stand firm, click on the Strategic Agenda for the Police Academy 2026-2030 (in Dutch).