EUMA-Project

The postgraduate degree program "Master of Disaster Management and Risk Governance" at the University of Bonn is now connecting at European level!

A consortium of 7 European universities and higher education institutes has received funding to promote a network of postgraduate programs in the field of disaster risk and crisis management. The European Commission accepted the EUMA-Project proposal ("Creating an EUropean Higher Education Network for MAster’s Programmes in Disaster Risk Management") for a two-year grant. The project consortium consists of universities from Vienna/Austria, Bonn/Germany, Pisa/Italy, Alés/France, Tallinn/Estonia, Dublin/Ireland and Twente/Netherlands and is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Thomas Glade from the University of Vienna (UNIVIE).

Prof. Dr. Lothar Schrott, head of the postgraduate master's program "Master of Disaster Management and Risk Governance" at the University of Bonn in cooperation with the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) is one of the key partners in this consortium. The aim of the project is to strengthen the network of postgraduates and advance the professionalization of civil protection through a Europe-wide knowledge exchange with high-ranking international seminars, summer schools and scientific publications. The target group is primarily students in postgraduate degree programs in the field of civil protection in governmental and private institutions or aid organizations.

A European cooperation aiming at mutual learning and knowledge exchange is of increasing importance in the field of disaster management at university level. The heat waves, devastating forest fires, and floods of recent weeks in Europe and other parts of the world forcefully remind us of the dramatic effects of climate change. They vividly demonstrate that disasters can reach a magnitude to which individual countries can no longer respond adequately and require international assistance. Mutual learning and transnational knowledge exchange is essential, as devastating forest fires and other extreme weather situations are advancing in more northern latitudes as well.

Project start was the 01.01.2024!

Upcoming Events

Specialized Workshop on Geo-Information for Disaster Management

In the framework of the EUMA project the University of Twente - International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (UT-ITC) are organizing a two-day workshop October 17-18, 2024.
The workshop aims at professionals in civil protection authorities and disaster management organizations in Europe. Scientists and students are also invited to apply. The workshop will be given in English. There are no registration costs, but participants are expected to pay for food and accommodation. Please indicate your interest by sending a mail with a short cv to c.j.vanwesten@utwente.nl before October 8, 2024. They will make a selection based on the background of the applicants.

Topics covered:

Spatial information for multi-hazard risk assessment
Impact-based forecasting
Forensic Analysis & Impact chains
Multi-Hazard Modelling
Geo-Health
Visit to the disaster-affected area of the fireworks disaster
Innovative technologies for damage assessment
Artificial Intelligence in disaster studies
Virtual Operations Support Team, and the EURO2024
Visit to the Twente Safety Campus and Risk Factory

Find out more (pdf, 1.0 MB)

SAVE THE DATE! - EUMA Winter School at the University of Bonn, 6-10 January 2025. Registration opens in October. For more information, please click on the button on the right!

Topic: From Single Hazards to Multi-Hazards and Systemic Risks: Scientific, Operational, and Communication Perspectives. Winter School Save theDate

Find out more on our event page!

Recent events

The University of Bonn attends the second EUMA Specialised Workshop in Vienna

On July 3-4, the project leader, the University of Vienna, hosted the second Specialised Workshop on 'Natural Hazards and Risks within Disaster Risk Management'. Representatives from EUMA partner institutions, along with DRM professionals and policy makers, joined both in-person and online. Dr. Rainer Bell and Everjoy Chiimba represented the University of Bonn. By discussing relevant topics of the EUMA Master’s programme and considering past, present and future trends in natural disaster management, the workshop will contribute to the development of the EUMA curriculum.

Eine Wissenschaftlerin und ein Wissenschaftler arbeiten hinter einer Glasfassade und mischen Chemikalien mit Großgeräten.

University of Bonn hosts EUMA Stakeholder Workshop

We hosted a successful hybrid Kick-off Stakeholder Meeting on June 3rd 2024. The workshop brought together key local and international stakeholders to share their invaluable knowledge and experience, focusing on the needs and demands for the education of future disaster managers. Led by Prof. Lothar Schrott and Dr. Rainer Bell and supported by Everjoy Chiimba, Marie Weil and Christina Páez Maletz, the workshop was filled with lively discussions, including a comprehensive SWOT analysis on the current educational landscape of disaster managers. Participants also assessed essential and desirable skills for a (future) disaster risk manager. The results of the Kick-off meeting will contribute to the development of the EUMA curriculum.

EUMA Specialised Workshop Pisa, Italy

On April 11-12, 2024, the Scuola Universitaria Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa hosted the first Specialized Workshop on “Cross-border Humanitarian Assistance: Legal and Institutional Aspects.”
Dr. Rainer Bell and Marie Weil represented the University of Bonn, joining other EUMA partner universities, the Italian Army, Fire and Rescue Service, Red Cross, as well as humanitarian professionals, practitioners and researchers in disaster management. The workshop's outcomes will help shape the EUMA curriculum for a new postgraduate Master’s programme in disaster risk management.

EUMA Kick-Off Meeting 01-02 February 2024, Vienna

Prof. Lothar Schrott represented the University of Bonn as one of seven delegates from partner institutions (Vienna, Bonn, Pisa, Alès, Enschede, Tallinn, and Dublin) at the EUMA kick-off meeting in Vienna. Also in attendance were members of the Scientific Advisory Board to the European Union’s Civil Protection Knowledge Network. During the meeting, the project background, objectives, and expectations were presented, along with a brief introduction to the European Union’s Civil Protection Knowledge Network. Also, plans for collaborative workshops, summer schools, and practical initiatives were agreed upon as key building blocks in the development of a EUropean MAster’s in disaster risk management. Visit the EUMA Website for more information.