Peruvian State Promotes University Alliance to Train Development and Risk Management Specialists
Jesús Angel Chavez Machado

Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute (INDECI) and several of the country’s universities have signed cooperation agreements to promote a National Training Programme aimed at a variety of stakeholders who need in-depth knowledge of the unbreakable links between risk management, disaster reduction and sustainable development.

This alliance will also help INDECI and the Peruvian State carry out risk assessments, engage in preventive measures, and promote a culture of prevention among professionals, teachers, government officials, media workers, community leaders and the public.

At present, an experimental project is underway to involve researchers and other scholars in the implementation of the training components of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Plan, one of INDECI’s nation-wide efforts. The project will focus on:

• Academic research, including papers, theses and prevention projects.
• Community outreach activities.
• The exchange of information and experiences among relevant specialists in several disciplines.

The first stage of the project will concentrate on the launch, in at least five of the country’s regions, of a Master’s programme involving several universities with a proven academic record, to ensure the success and sustainability of the effort.

In no more than two years, the goal is to have provided the first generation of professionals with the scientific and technological skills needed to act as managers and supervisors in any of the member bodies of the National Civil Defence System (SINADECI), or indeed similar organizations at the international level.

They should be able to design, test and implement methods and procedures for disaster management, rehabilitation, prevention and the enforcement of safety regulations in the building of development infrastructure.

During this initial stage, a curricular model will be developed for each university, based on the specific needs of regional or local SINADECI member bodies, with their full participation, to provide diplomas or master’s degrees to postgraduates.
The second stage of the project will offer master’s degrees whose curriculum will be designed by each university to help respond to the disaster prevention and mitigation needs of each region. This phase will call for the collection, classification and systematization of research and methodological literature on existing hazards, including case studies, academic lectures, course materials and risk maps, as well as the production of new knowledge and dissemination materials.

The third stage will assess the products and processes of the two previous stages in order to make the necessary adjustments so that the academic process can meet INDECI’s concrete needs. In addition, an alumni database will be set up to integrate graduates into the staff of SINADECI, other public and private institutions, and other organizations and groups that encourage citizen participation in vulnerability and disaster reduction. Participating universities will also create electronic mailing lists and discussion forums.

For more information please contact
jachm46@hotmail.com