Free Education for Master Degree in Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management at Thailand

MISSION STATEMENT
The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 caused more than 200,000 deaths and inflicted multi-billion dollar damage on infrastructure. The death toll of the Pakistan earthquake in 2005 is estimated at over 70,000. Asian countries are becoming increasingly vulnerable to various types of disasters including landslides, floods, droughts, forest fires, typhoons and man-made hazards. But, they have displayed very limited capacity in terms of their knowledge base, skills training, long-term planning, emergency preparedness and policy development to respond to such disasters.

The aim of this new academic program is to instill the necessary interdisciplinary capacities to manage and minimize the effects of disasters in people on the front lines of disaster response and preparedness. Upon completion of the program, graduates will have gained a profound scientific understanding of natural and man-made disasters. They will be able to assess risks properly; to construct disaster management plans using appropriate tools and techniques; and, to apply suitable measures to mitigate risk. They will possess the skills necessary for handling complex emergency situations and to communicate with various stakeholders and policy makers on issues associated with disaster preparedness, mitigation and management. Given these skills and expertise, program graduates will be ready to play a leading role in protecting Asia`s large populations from the full force of a rising tide of disasters

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

1. Professional Master`s Degree Program
2. Master`s Degree Program
3. Post-Graduate Certificate Program


PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS

1. Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
2. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA
3. International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), the Netherlands
4. International Center for Urban Safety Engineering (ICUS), The University of Tokyo, Japan
5. University of Washington (UW), International Tsunami Training Institute (ITTI), USA
6. Coastal Resource Center (CRC), University of Rhode Island, USA
7. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan
8. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok
9. Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, Japan

SCHOLARSHIPS & ASSISTANTSHIPS
A limited number of scholarships and fellowships are available for selected applicants with high academic achievement and/or experience in disaster-related activities.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT
Applicants with engineering, architecture, natural and social sciences, and management backgrounds are eligible to apply for this program. Those with backgrounds in relevant fields of study or work experiences will be given priority for selection. Application should be made before June 15 for August semester intake and November 15 for January semester intake. On-line application can be made at: http://www.ait.ac.th/apply/

CONTACT ADDRESS
For further information, please contact:
Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management Program Asian Institute of Technology
P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Tel: +66 2-524-6423
Fax: +66 2-524-6059
Email: dpmm@ait.ac.th
Website: http://www.ait.ac.th/dpmm