Feature

ASIAN University Network of Environment and Disaster Management (AUEDM), a network of fifteen universities across Asia held a workshop in Dhaka recently at BRAC Center Inn, Dhaka. The Post Graduate Programs in Disaster Management (PPDM), BRAC University and The Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University jointly organised the workshop.

Asia is vulnerable to different types of disasters. Earthquakes, Cyclones, Flood, Tsunamis, droughts are to name a few. Plenty of lives are lost as a result of these disasters. The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 generated significant interest among academic institutions in affected and non-affected countries to focus on disaster reduction. Involving local academic institutions can be one of the means of sustainable way to introduce/mainstream risk reduction in the education process.

The aims of AUEDM are to share and work together bilaterally and multilaterally in promoting environment and disaster management in higher education (focusing on but not restricted on post-graduate education), to seek possibilities of mutual collaboration on field based action research, to broaden the scope of education and learning in the environment and disaster management field through collaboration with other stakeholders like NGOs and local governments. The characteristic features of this network are mainly multi-disciplinary approach, field-based action research, and linking academic research to field practice.

The focus of the workshop was to coordinate education and research so that it can be implemented in the field level. Academics and researchers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Japan attended this workshop. Initially the network intends to prepare an inventory of higher education in Disaster Management identifying current status and gaps, develop curriculum guidelines for disaster education, produce text and reference materials for students and identify key research areas.

The workshop was inaugurated by Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, vice chancellor of BRAC University and a pioneer of disaster management of Bangladesh. Moderators of the discussions were Rajib Shaw of Kyoto University, Prof. Fuad Mallick Director of PPDM, BRAC University and vice president of AUEDM and Prof. Amir Khan of Peshawar University The other participants were Ramaswamy R. Krishnamurthy from University of Madras, Krishna Pribadi, from Institute of Technology Bandung, Yukiko Takeuchi from Kyoto University, Rekha Nianthi from University of Peradeniya, S. I. Khan, M. Aminur Rahman and Tahmina Rahman from BRAC University.