ADVANCED STUDIES IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Corso organizzato da Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) - Luogo: India; Switzerland (Lausanne and Bangalore) - Scadenza domanda: 30 maggio 2010

The objective for the second edition of the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Disaster Risk Reduction (CDRR 2010) is to propose a continuing education course to professionals and specialists from both southern and northern countries who already have significant experience in disaster risk reduction or a connected field such as climate change adaptation or development.


The CDRR aims to strengthen the capabilities of participants in the field of natural disaster prevention, especially hydro-meteorological disasters and/or those related to climate change. To achieve this, the course favours an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to the issue and focuses on the reduction of vulnerabilities and the strengthening of the capacities of populations at risk. The course does not have a technical vocation but concentrates on a practical and field-oriented approach in order to consolidate the theoretical part. Some time will be devoted to field visits, interactive workshops and methodological tools.

Upon completion of the programme, participants should be familiar with natural disaster risk management, especially with regards to hydro-meteorological disasters. They will be in a position to:
-Compare and analyse the main risk management approaches;
-Interpret the current results of scientific research on climate change and challenges related to natural hazards, and identify appropriate measures in a specific situation;
-Apply methodological tools to assess vulnerabilities and strengthen adaptation.

The course will be held in Switzerland and India and thus offers a unique chance for sharing the different standpoints and experiences of Europe and Asia regarding the risk issue.


Subject Areas
Disaster risk reduction – climate change adaptation – north/south and south/south scientific partnerships – interdisciplinarity – innovative technologies for risk reduction - vulnerabilities, mitigation and resilience.


Target Audience

The course is primarily intended for professionals, researchers or managers specialising in natural risks or called upon by their profession to make decisions concerning risk situations. Participants are required to have a university degree or equivalent. Their background could be in environmental sciences, civil engineering, architecture, physics, or mathematics, but also human sciences, such as sociology, geography, and international relations. This list is not exhaustive. In order to make this training programme as attractive as possible, and taking into account the keen interest on the part of participants to benefit from shared experience, the group will again be deliberately mixed:
-It will be composed of representatives of NGOs, international organisations, academics, national or local administrations, and the private sector.
-Participants will come from both developing and emerging countries (citizens of India, Bangladesh and other Southern countries) and developed countries (Switzerland and other Northern countries).
-Participants of any age will be welcome, but priority will be given to those who already have a few years of work experience.
-The organisers will try to ensure that gender balance is respected within the group.



Application Procedure

For their application to be considered, candidates should have a degree from a university or institute of technology. In all cases, two or more years of work experience will be an advantage. A maximum number of 25 participants will be accepted, with roughly equal numbers from Switzerland, India, Bangladesh and the rest of the world.
The following documents are required:

* Completed Application Form
* A detailed Curriculum Vitae
* Motivation Letter (personal and professional objectives and expectations)
* Grant Application Form (if applicable)
* Duly certified true copies of Certificate(s), University Degree(s) and/or equivalent titles (if documents are not in English or French, please provide a certified translation)
* Certified Copies of Original Transcripts (if documents are not in English or French, please provide a certified translation)
* Copy of ID card or Passport
* Two Passport Photos (3.5 x 4.5 with surname, first name and birth date inscribed on the back)

Note that due to frequent forgeries, the EPFL requests accepted participants to bring their original diplomas (on the first day of class or before) for verification. All applications will be reviewed by the course organiser (EPFL) and are then submitted to the School of Continuing Education and the Registrar's Office for approval. The course organiser reserves the right to cancel this course if the number of enrolments is insufficient and to modify the present programme at any time. The Application Form, as well as all the documents listed above, should be returned under two formats (one electronic and one paper duly signed including accompanying documents) to EPFL, Cooperation CDRR, CM2, Station 10, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland).



Scholarship

Full and/or partial grants may be offered to participants coming from developing or emerging countries that are not able to meet the total costs involved. Priority will be given to participants of India and Bangladesh. The grant will cover tuition fees as well as accommodation and board in Switzerland and India. Note that grants will NOT cover travelling costs to Switzerland and India. Applications (and all accompanying documents must be submitted on the Grant Application Form to the CDRR course organiser).



Tuition and Cost

The total tuition fee is CHF 3,400.- (enrolment fee: CHF 680.- plus course contribution: CHF 2,720.-). Please note that travel, board in Switzerland and India (during weekends) as well as lodging expenses are not included. Enrolments are considered official only after payment of the tuition fee to the institution responsible for the participant's acceptance. In case of withdrawal after official enrolment on the course but prior to the beginning of the course, an administrative fee of CHF 1,000.- will be charged. No refunds will be made to participants after the course starts. In Switzerland: The cost of living is very high. A minimum amount of CHF 250.- should be anticipated for food for 2 weeks. A full meal costs CHF 8.50 at campus restaurants. As far as accommodation is concerned, rooms are available for approximately CHF 80.- /day, including breakfast. A total budget of between CHF 1,500.- and 1,800.- should be allowed for living expenses. In India: The cost of food in India is already included in the tuition fee. Basic accommodation on campus will be available for approximately CHF 10.- per day, i.e. CHF 150.- for the entire stay. A total budget of approximately CHF 500.- should therefore be allowed for living expenses. The plane ticket from Switzerland to India costs between CHF 1,500.- and 1,700.-. All costs are given as an indication and cannot be guaranteed.



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