Disaster Management Education through Higher Education – Industry Collaboration in the Built Environment

Effectively responding to the current and dynamic construction labour market requirements is a major responsibility of higher education institutions (HEIs). HEIs aim to reduce the mismatch between what they deliver and what is required by the industry. Built environment professionals require continuous update of knowledge and education in order to effectively contribute to disaster management. However, the complex and multidisciplinary nature of disaster management education pose a challenge to the higher education institutions to make them more responsive to the industrial needs and to prepare the students for careers in disaster resilience. Adopting a lifelong learning approach would be appropriate for HEIs to maintain a through-life studentship and to provide disaster related knowledge and education on a continuous basis to respond to the labour market requirements. However, incorporating lifelong learning approach within the system of higher education is not easy and straightforward for HEIs. This is mainly because of the formal and bureaucratic nature of HEIs that acts as a barrier for providing effective lifelong learning education. In resolving this issue, HEIs are increasingly relying on the benefits associated with fostering close collaboration with external organisations such as industries, professional bodies and communities. In this context, this paper discusses the role of HEIs in providing disaster management education, the challenges associated with it, and the way of addressing the challenges through the higher education industry collaboration

Report to the Nation 2006

Foreword As the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) presents its fi rst annual report to the nation, we feel a sense of excitement at the potential that India has to emerge as one of the leading knowledge societies in the world. The Commission was set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prepare a blueprint to tap into the enormous reservoir of our knowledge base so that our people can confidently face challenges of the 21st century. We are conscious that this is a daunting task, which requires not only resources and time but also a vision and a long term view. At the same time, we are happy that we have taken this fi rst important step. At the heart of the NKC’s mandate are fi ve key areas related to Access, Concepts, Creation, Application and Services. We have addressed the question of how to build a knowledge society from these perspectives with a particular focus on access to knowledge. Of the nine sets of recommendations made by the NKC in 2006, six deal directly with access. We have done so consciously in conformity with the UPA government’s philosophy of building an inclusive society. The emerging knowledge society and associated opportunities present a set of new imperatives and new challenges for our economy, polity and society. Our future prosperity depends upon the policies, programmes and people that can foster continuous generation and application of knowledge in the pursuit of learning. We have addressed a wide range of subjects including a comprehensive reform of higher education, overhaul of public libraries, creation of a Knowledge Network, setting up of national portals, transformation of vocational education, re-engineering of government processes and making E-governance citizen-friendly. The impact of what we have proposed would be felt over the next decade and beyond. We have taken particular care to keep the entire process democratic, transparent and participative. In doing so, we have consulted a wide range of stakeholders in government, parliament, politics, academia, industry, civil society and the media. Our recommendations refl ect and incorporate the concerns and aspirations of experts and persons from the concerned spheres. The Commission members have worked painstakingly on every aspect of our recommendations. I want to thank all members for the exceptional dedication they have brought to their mandate even though they all know that the impact of their work will be felt only in the long-term. We have had our agreements and disagreements on many issues on the table but their expression has always been in the highest traditions of democracy. I would also like to thank the members of various working groups and the secretariat for their contribution and support. I would like to particularly acknowledge the support and guidance of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Planning Commission. We hope that the work we have done during our fi rst year will be of value to the government and will fi nd the enthusiasm and support of the administration in its implementation. We also hope that our recommendations will receive the attention they deserve and create necessary public discussion, debate and dialogue to shape and mobilize public opinion. We say this with a focus on the 550 million people below the age of 25 who will benefi t the most from the new knowledge initiatives. The destiny of India is in their hands. While making the recommendations we have been guided by how knowledge will impact the lives of people, ordinary people, of India. We are conscious that knowledge is about farmers having access to accurate information about water resources, land quality and fertilizers, students having access to schools and colleges of high quality relevant education and good jobs, scientists having access to well equipped modern libraries and laboratories, industry having access to a skilled workforce and people feeling empowered with good governance in a vibrant democracy. The recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission are really a call to action. It is time to act here and now