Admission requirements
Only students of the MSc Crisis and Security Management can take this course.
Description
In today's increasingly complex world, characterized by conflicts, climate change, disasters, and public health crises, humanitarian emergencies have reached unprecedented levels of severity and scope. Particularly in disasters, when the impact of an event exceeds the capacity of the affected country to cope within its own resources, external humanitarian assistance becomes essential and is typically requested. This program is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of both the theory and practice of humanitarian response; in detail, it explores the principles, practices, and challenges of humanitarian response in the context of disasters and emergencies. The course will feature participation from experts of the field representing governments, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), intergovernmental organizations (IOs), United Nations (UN) agencies, and local NGOs. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, conversations with experts, and in-class exercises, students will develop the analytical and decision-making skills crucial for starting a career in the humanitarian field.
Course objectives
After this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand the key concepts and principles of humanitarian response in the context of disasters and emergencies.
2. Review past events and reflect on their impacts on communities and individuals.
3. Learn how to plan, implement, and monitor emergency response programs in accordance with humanitarian principles and standards.
4. Analyze the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders in humanitarian response, including governments, NGOs, UN agencies, and local communities
5. Acquire practical skills in conducting needs assessments, risk assessments, and situation analyses to inform effective response strategies.
6. Develop a reflective and adaptive approach to humanitarian action, recognizing the dynamic nature of emergencies and the need for continuous learning and improvement.
Timetable
On the right side of the programme front page you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Brightspace.
Mode of instruction
This course consists of seven interactive sessions including lectures, seminars, presentations, and in-class group exercise. In the lectures, students will learn the relevant concepts, theoretical models, and methodologies. In the seminars and workgroups, students will complete in-class (graded) assignments, team presentations, and exercises.
The principles and organization of the course require a high involvement from students. Participation in lectures, discussions and exercises is mandatory.
Total study load 140 hours:
21 Contact hours
119 Self-study hours: reading, preparing lectures, assignments, etc.
Assessment method
Three in-class (group) exercises
30% of final grade.
Grades of single assignments can be compensated an average 5.50 for the three is required to pass.Final exam (individual),
70% of final grade.
Grade cannot be compensated, a 5.50 is required to pass.
Resit is possible
Resit take the same form
The calculated grade of the assignments must be at least 5.50 in order to pass the course.
If a student passed an assignment, it is not possible to participate in a re-sit in order to obtain a higher grade. Students are not obliged to hand in an assignment at the first opportunity in order to make use of the re-sit opportunity. For those students who use the re-sit date as their first opportunity, they need a sufficient grade in order to pass the course. If you use the re-sit option as your first attempt, you have no re-sit option left in case you fail the exam.
Transitional arrangement
Please be aware that passed partial grades obtained in academic year 2023-2024 are no longer valid during academic year 2024-2025.
Reading list
A selection of books and articles, to be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
*Please note, registration for block 4 electives will be organised by the OSC in a different way from the regular course registration for semester 2. More information about this will follow in the beginning of semester 2.
Contact
Dr. A. Bartolucci