6th Annual Crisis and Disaster Management Summer Academy

5th Annual BBK Summer Academy, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany

Training and specialized courses is an important part of a individual's Crisis and Disaster Manager's career. For many students, it is difficult to comprehend the complexities involved. The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) is the central organizational element for civil security of the German Ministry of Interior. The BBK fills this need with an interdisciplinary approach to safety prevention providing an efficient integrated protective system for population and their basis of living by producing one of the finest Crisis and Disaster Management programs in the world. Every year the organization offers a unique program, an two week International Summer Academy.

I have been a guest lecturer and instructor at this Academy since 2012 and find the students to be highly motivated, bringing energy with a high degree of eagerness to learn. The program is rich with content with guest lectures addressing problems at the local, regional, national and international crisis and disaster management level. Students will find knowledge transfer from around the world will enhance their education and further their personal and professional understanding in this field. It is one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. Lecturer's from 12 countries from across Europe, Canada and the United States, all highly experienced in crisis and disaster management will be in attendance in addition to specialists in disaster management technology, applications and sciences. You will not find a better mix of faculty and staff that all have past deployment experience, anywhere in the world.

The 6th annual Summer Academy will be hosted at the BBK's facility in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, July 21st to August 1st, 2014, located approximately 45 minutes south of Cologne (Köln) International Airport or 2 hours from Frankfurt. Trains are available to the area from every major city in Germany.

Candidates should be enrolled in a Crisis and Disaster Management University Masters Program. However this is not mandatory and will be reviewed by BBK on a case by case basis. The courses and accommodations are free. Students are required to pay for their own travel, immigration - customs Visa's and personal expenses. Over 500 students from 40 countries have attended since its inception.

You can find contact details and application forms at this LINK. Space is limited.

Hope to see you there!