CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

Susann Baez Ullberg, PhD

The Centre for Natural Disaster

Science (CNDS)

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

The five units of CNDS

• Karlstads University• Center for Climate and Safety

• National Defence College• CRISMART National Centre for Crisis Management Studies

• Uppsala University, Earth Sciences• Geology and Geophysics

• Air, Water, and Landscape Science

• Uppsala University, Technology• Informations Technology

• Engineering Sciences

• Uppsala Universitet, Social Sciences• Political Science

• Peace and Conflict Research

• * Ej MSB-projektet

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

Long story short:Strategic application 16 March 2009

Government decision 15 September 2009

Parliament decision 18 November 2009

Further support from MSB 10 December 2010

Also builds on Sida support since 2008

Five-year evaluation in 2014

If positive – permanent Government funding after

2015

• Main ideas:• Five strong units produce high-class reserch in their own fields

• Promises Government to start collaborating to solve societal security and

emergency problems

• Starts with open-minded PhD students and post-docs within the framework

of a research school

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

Funding

• Government

• 11,4 MSEK/year until 2014 – Followed by and

evaluation and, if found acceptable, permanent

funding thereafter.

• MSB

• 2,7 MSEK/year 2011–2014

• Sida

• Around 4 MSEK/year 2009–2015

• Partner co-funding from own sources

• Around 6 MSEK/year after 2011

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

An area with large knowledge

gaps!

2009: UN/ISDR requiestcoordinated inter-disciplinary research

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

An area with large knowledge

gaps!

2010: ICSU launches IRDR with main IPO in Beijing

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

What characterises a natural disaster?

An extraordinary event/process produced at the interface of natureand society, involving a geophysical hazard and societalvulnerabilities.

Elbe 2002

Arvika 2000

Resilience to natural disasters needscollaborative support from

engineering, natural and social sciences.

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

Natural disaster science

Besides the need for inter-disciplinary collaboration there is a need for a perspective where you, together from different aspects, study the different phases of a natural disaster: Before – during – after – learning from previousphases to improve preparedness for the next event.

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

ICSU (2008) A Science Plan for Integrated Research on Disaster Risk:

… identified the most significant research gaps to be interdisciplinary cohesion, i.e. the intersections of the natural, socio-economic, health and engineering sciences …

KVA, Miljökommittén (2009) Tvärvetenskap – nödvändigt för att möta dagens

miljöutmaningar:

Idag finns förväntningar och krav på hur samhället ska hantera de stora utmaningar som klimatförändring, global utveckling och stressade ekosystem innebär. Dessa utmaningar går inte att finna lösning på genom disciplinär forskning eftersom de rör sig i tvärsnittet mellan människan och naturen.

Interdisciplinarity, a tough challenge

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

• Despite the apparent benefits of interdisciplinary research,

researchers interested in pursuing it often face daunting obstacles

and disincentives.

• Some of them take the form of personal communication or “culture”

barriers;

• others are related to the tradition in academic institutions of organizing

research and teaching activities by discipline-based departments

• a tradition that is commonly mirrored in

•funding organizations,

•professional societies,

•and journals.

Interdisciplinary research

but how?

Santa Tecla 2001

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

The CNDS Research School

- Governed by a syllabus (”särskild studieplan”)

- 28 PhD students are admitted to disciplinary subjects

and follow their study plans

- Two courses given to all, more specialised in individual

study plans

- Common seminar series

- Support for collaboration around concrete cases and

study object, preferably co-publication where this is

possible

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

Forum for Natural Disasters

- Annual meeting place for

academia and authorities/industry

- Arranged in 2012, 2013, and 2014

- Growing from year to year

- Co-arranged in 2013 and 2014 by

CNDS, Swedish National Platform

for Disaster Risk Reduction, and

National Knowledge Centre for

Climate Adaptation

- 18–19 November 2014 at the

National Defence College,

Stockholm (one day in Swedish,

one in English)

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

CNDS Academy

- A meeting place for academic

discussion

- Gradually opening up for parties

outside of CNDS

- Around four times a year

- Always striving to promote inter-

disciplinary discussions

CNDS – A joint initiative by Uppsala University, Karlstad University and National Defence College

Thank you for listening!