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Postgraduate certificate in geological risk assessment and management (CERG), University of Geneva
From: Costanza Bonadonna <Costanza.Bonadonna@xxxxxxxx>
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Since 1987, the University of Geneva has held an international training course on geologic risk assessment and management for graduate students and practitioners under a program called the Certificat de spécialisation en évaluation et management des Risques Géologiques, or, Specialization Certificate in Assessment and Management of Geological Risks (CERG). The CERG is an intensive 9-week long program integrating the physical and social sciences and vulnerability and economics into risk assessment and management. Completion of the Certificate requires a Thesis/Memoir to be conducted in a candidate’s home country or in Geneva in collaboration with various governmental and nongovernmental agencies (e.g., ISDR, UNOSAT, ITC), due within 2 years of completion of the main course work. Target modules include: risk management, volcanic risk, landslide risk, seismic risk, and flood risk. Climate change risk was added to the flood module in 2008.
Field exercises are offered with all CERG modules. As part of the volcanic-risk module, the CERG offers a 1-week field exercise on the island of Vulcano, Italy, to study geologic risk in the context of volcanic hazards. The island of Vulcano, part of the Aeolian Island arc north of Sicily, experienced its last eruption in 1888-90, but more recently volcanic unrest occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. Four modules are included in the project at Vulcano: physical volcanology and hazard assessment; vulnerability assessment (physical, functional, systemic, territorial and social); economics; and risk assessment and management. The training is also strongly aligned with the National Civil Protection Department and includes a 1-day trip to Stromboli to evaluate the interaction between physical science and emergency management on Stromboli.
CERG candidates come to Geneva from all over the world to take advantage of faculty expertise and field settings offered in Switzerland, Italy and France and to have access to major international natural disaster governmental and non-governmental organizations housed in Geneva. To date, some 290 participants from 70 different countries have been trained in the CERG. The teaching faculty comprises some 30 international experts from: Swiss National Emergency Operations Centre; Swiss Humanitarian Aid; INGV, Italy; World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Geneva; UN/ISDR, Geneva; UNOSAT, Geneva; ProVention Consortium, Geneva; University of Pisa (Dept of Earth Sciences), Italy; University of South Florida (Dept of Geology), USA; East Tennessee State University (Dept of Geosciences), USA; and UNU-ITC School for Disaster Geo-information Management, Netherlands.
Applications are due annually in November for training beginning April the following year (next deadline: November 8th ). A limited number of scholarships are available. All material is presented in English. Learn more about the CERG by going to: http://www.unige.ch/hazards. For registration and information, contact:
Dr. Corine FRISCHKNECHT (CERG Coordinator). Email : cerg@xxxxxxxx
Dr. Costanza BONADONNA (CERG Director). Email : Costanza.Bonadonna@xxxxxxxx
Dr. Costanza BONADONNA (CERG Director). Email : Costanza.Bonadonna@xxxxxxxx
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