The World Bank Institute and UN-ISDR are supporting the cross regional university collaboration for knowledge exchange in establishing high quality educational programs in the field of disaster management. This collaboration is expected to provide technical support to the new Centre for Natural Hazards and Disaster Studies (CNHDS) which has been established at the University of Madras (MU).
World Bank Institute facilitates the process through:
(i) Establishment of collaboration between MU and WBI academic and educational partners to support the development of curricula and the design of the Disaster Management Center business plan
(ii) Access to WBI courses,
(iii) Technical assistance and advisory services from WBI network members in design of Master level courses in disaster risk management
(iv) Technical assistance and advisory services from WBI network members in development of diploma/certificate program in disaster risk management
(v) Training of trainers using WBI web-based program
(vi) Initiation of collaborative research between MU and WBI partner universities. 

The initiative involves the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, International Environment and Disaster Management Laboratory (IEDM / GSGES), Kyoto University (IEDM/ KU), Japan, and Disaster Management and Research Center, Middle East Technical University (METU-DMC), Ankara, Turkey.

The tri party collaboration is providing support to Madras University (MU) in developing
(i) MSc courses (core and elective) in disaster risk management for graduate students
(ii) A diploma/certificate program for practitioners engaged in disaster related field through technical assistance and support from two leading universities, Kyoto University of Japan and Middle East technical University of Turkey. 

The executing organization/implementing agency of the project is Middle East Technical University. The university has established its Disaster Management and Research Center (METU DMC) in 1997 and has gained international prestige in research and educational field. 

A study tour to Turkey was organized from March 18 to March 23, 2007 by Middle East Technical University for other partners of this regional university collaboration. 
The objective of the study tour was to:

(i) study the business model of disaster management centers functioning in universities of Turkey
(ii) initiate a text book project which will be used for teaching DRM core and elective courses in the University of Madras
(iii) finalize chapters for the text book and assigning specific responsibilities among the collaborators
(iv) Provide opportunity to UOM team to gain field experience in post earthquake rehabilitation initiatives undertaken in Turkey
(v) provide the highlight on infrastructure and expertise available in METU and other Institutions/Universities in Turkey for intensive future collaboration with UOM.   

19-03-2007 (Monday)
1. Prof. Polat Gülkan - Research and Extension Activities of DMC, METU, including an Overview on METU; and Assessment and Estimation of Earthquake Disaster Impacts on Urban Building Stock.

2. Dr. Katalin Demeter - Overview on WBI perspective and expected outcomes of the three party collaboration.

3. Prof. Murat Balamir - Urban Planning with reference to Land Use Management Practices.

4. Dr. Rajeshwara Rao - Overview on UOM activities and course content of DRM to be offered from July 2007. (PDF file, 142kb)

5. Prof. Periakali -Important Environmental Issues related to Earthquakes with reference to India. (PDF file, 310kb)

6. Dr. Krishnamoorthy - Tsunami Impact Studies and the book project on Disaster Management - Global Challenges & Local Solutions.

7. Prof. Ahmet Yalçıner - Tsunami Modeling and Coastal zone Risk Management.

8. Prof. Nurai Karancı - Social impacts of Disasters.

9. Dr. Burcak Basbuğ - Financial Mechanisms for Disaster Risk Management. (PDF file, 90kb)

20-03-2007 (Tuesday)
10. Republıc of Turkey Prıme Mınıstry , Turkey Emergency Management General Dırectorate

11. Directorate for Disaster Affairs – Mr. M. Taymaz

21-03-2007
12. Presentations by Ms.Gülgün Tezgider, Director of Disaster Volunteers Foundation, Kaynaslı/Düzce

22-03-2007
13.  “Disaster Management Non-Thesis Graduate Program” (PDF file, 1,510kb) by Prof Dr Seval SOZEN, Head of Disaster Management Program

14. Disaster Management Center, Istanbul Technical University (PDF file, 2,663kb) by Dr Hikmet ISKENDER Vice Director

15. Istanbul Seismic Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project (ISMEP) (PDF file, 3,214kb) by İstanbul Project Coordination Unit (IPCU), Kazım Gökhan ELGİN, Director

(i) Middle East Technical University (Turkey)
(ii) University of Madras (India),
(iii) Kyoto University (Japan)
(iv) United Nations Inter-Agency secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/IDSR)

(i) Prof. S. Ramachandran, Vice – Chancellor, University of Madras
(ii) Prof. P. Periakali, Head, Department of Environmental Geochemistry Applied Geology, University of Madras
(iii) Dr. N. Rajeshwara Rao Senior Lecturer, Earthquake and Cyclone Prediction Studies
(iv) Dr. R. Krishnamoorthy, Senior Lecturer, Coastal Environments and Tsunami Modeling & Impact Studies
(v) Ms. Shelly Kulshrestha, Urban Planner, Task Manager- Disaster Risk management program for India, WBI