Headline: Facing Natural Hazards: Call for Applications for Potsdam Summer School 2015

In recent decades, researchers have been paying more attention to people’s dependency on nature in the light of global change, the world’s growing population and urbanisation tendencies. The danger to humans posed by extreme natural events is the focus of the second Potsdam Summer School on “Facing Natural Hazards”.

From 14 to 23 September, renowned experts from Potsdam and abroad will share their insights into approaches to natural hazards and work together with Summer School participants to develop concrete proposals for dealing with such hazards in future. The Summer School is geared towards young professionals, post-docs and future decision-makers from research institutes, government agencies, NGOs and the private sector. We welcome applications from around the world and hope that the Summer School will be an opportunity to exchange ideas and initiate future cooperations.

The application process for the international Summer School is open until 31 May.

Potsdam Summer School offers up-and-coming scholars and young professionals a multifaceted programme

The focus of the intensive ten-day programme will lie on various kinds of risks and methods of minimising them. Taking selected examples of natural hazards, participants will consider the entire chain of risk and vulnerability analysis, from mitigation measures to emergency preparedness. The issues to be discussed include:

• natural hazard monitoring
• risk evaluation
• a culture of prevention and
• the political and legal framework.

The Summer School integrates the perspectives of researchers in the natural and social sciences as well as representatives of the public and private sectors. The programme encompasses lectures, different discussion formats, excursions and project activities such as interactive performances, workshops and group projects.

The entire Summer School will be conducted through English. It is organised by several different Potsdam-based research institutes, all of which are engaged in the study of natural hazards: the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), the University of Potsdam, the Helmholtz-Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). The City of Potsdam is supporting the event as a partner.

The organisers welcome applications from up-and-coming scholars and young professionals with different backgrounds, who will come together to debate the challenges presented by natural hazards and possible preventive measures.

For further information and to download the application form, please visit the Potsdam Summer School website or contact Angela Borowski.

Photo: © PIK/Christine Bounama