Photo courtesy Uni. of Lugano
Since the first cohort of students over three years ago, the ICT4Peace Foundation has lectured at the Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Logistics and Management at the University of Lugano. Led by Sanjana Hattotuwa, the Foundation’s modules are broadly anchored around two key areas – one, the impact of new and social media on the web, Internet and via mobiles on humanitarian aid, situational awareness and more effective design and delivery of relief systems. Two, an overnight simulation exercise, based loosely around the Haiti earthquake, that takes students to around 30 of the leading humanitarian websites as well as new media platforms and portals and gets them to search for, compare and verify information on them, as well as collaborate and produce information using them.
This year, the Foundation introduced a new online collaborative mapping exercise to this simulation, based on the new Google Map Engine Lite.
Over the two and a half days of teaching, the ICT4Peace Foundation is joined by UN OCHA or UNHCR, represented over the years by Andrew Alspach. Together, the modules deal with,
- The IM Process
- ICTs and new media in Crisis Information Management System: New tools, new actors (ICT4Peace)
- Analysis in the humanitarian context
- Verification of online information (ICT4Peace)
- Practical exercise in Crisis Information Management including online mapping (Simulation)
- Reporting back on simulation exercise (ICT4Peace)
- Modules on IM Process (UNHCR)
We have noticed that with each cohort, competencies with and awareness of web based social & new media platforms, as well as aid, relief and data portals by and outside the UN is increasing. The Foundation, along with our partner UNHCR/OCHA, is keen to broaden and deepen this knowledge through the unique opportunity afforded by the Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Logistics and Management.
Admissions are accepted on a rolling basis by the University. Please consider applying.