09 August 2011, Geneva, Switzerland – UNOSAT 3-week intensive training on geospatial information for disaster response will be offered also in 2012. The course is part of the  Master Course on Disaster Management of the Universities of Copenhagen and Lund, worth 6 ECTS credits. UNOSAT and the University of Copenhagen have agreed to make the course available again in March 2012 after the success of the 2011 edition.

Professor Peter Kjær Mackie Jensen, in charge of the Master of Disaster Management at the University of Copenhagen, says:

“UNOSAT provide the students of Disaster Management with a unique chance to combine the latest technology and theory with real life situations in current disasters; a truly incredible place for a university to have as a partner”.

The Master’s objective is to provide national and international aid workers, government officials and other professionals interested in any or all parts of disaster management with a solid holistic interdisciplinary background so that they can respect and understand the complex context of acting and working before, during and after a disaster. The UNOSAT section on Geo Information in Disaster Situations of the Master course has become rapidly popular after the success of its first edition in March 2011.

Christian Willach, who followed the course at the UNOSAT premises in CERN in 2011 said “this objective (Explaining the role of Geo-information in the response phase of a disaster) will be is the take away for me in this course”.

The success of the course is a formula combining formal training with experience-based knowledge transfer directly from UNOSAT experts and analysts. This successful is also used in several capacity development projects run by UNOSAT for UN member states and a few international organizations.

“We were presented with a lot of useful information during the first two week period. Now it is a matter of going back to our lecture notes to reflect and remember what options are at our disposal.” said Walid Shoaib, also part of the 2011 UNOSAT course.

UNOSAT has consistently increased its training offer since 2008, driven by increasing demand and constantly renewed experience in several operational areas. New courses are being developed and will be on offer between 2011 and 2012.

For more information on the Master Course, please visit: http://www.mdma.ku.dk/

Photo: The graduates of the 2011 Master on Disaster Management (courtesy of Copenhagen University)