Kicking-Off the MSc and Capacity Building Scaling-Up

After a ground-laying and VLE preparatory phase, from its third semester running from, the geoDRR project entered its next phase. This is when the MSc in Geomatics for Disaster Risk Reduction actually kicked off in the partner universities in Southeast Asia.

Recruitment and Programme Kick-Off

The MSc course was formally launched, with the first group of students from Cambodia, Malaysia, and the Philippines being on board. Students were provided access to the VLE and were exposed to a variety of interactive learning modules that included Disaster Risk Mapping and Vulnerability Analysis, among other topics. This immersive exposure allowed participants to interact firsthand with advanced geomatics tools applied to real-world challenges in preparation for roles in disaster management and climate adaptation.

Capacity Building Workshops

Capacity-building workshops for academic and technical staff were therefore also an important focus of the semester, led by the European partners, in such advanced topics as geoinformatics and earthquake forecasting. They provided a deeper understanding of how to use the VLE, and integrate it into the classroom, to provide students with a high-quality learning experience.

Highlight: Students Applying Disaster Risk Tools

The VLE in use this semester has really been useful in letting students apply learned concepts in solving real-life problems. The students, through simulations and practical exercises, get the skills of assessing disaster risks, mapping out areas of vulnerability, and formulating response plans that are quite actionable. Real-life orientation of the program was ensuring that students were not just learning but actually contributing to the creation of disaster resilience within their respective communities.