The Master of Disaster Management for Sri Lanka.

The program of university cooperation between Italy and Sri Lanka was developed within the framework of the project “Global Partnership for Skill Development Using University Networks” of the International Labor Organization of the United Nations. This program, part of a broader array of humanitarian initiatives of the Italian government in support of the people of Sri Lanka hit by the Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26 th 2004, was composed of a school of specialization for Sri Lankan public officers with responsibility in civil protection and a Joint Master of Disaster Management for Sri Lankan students who had already completed their undergraduate curriculum. Strengthening university cooperation between Italy and Sri Lanka could boost research and teaching opportunities in both countries on subjects related to emergency management better to prepare for future calamities, thus preventing losses of lives and infrastructures. The school of specialization for Sri Lankan officers with responsibility in civil protection was held in Perugia in the months of January and February 2007, precisely at the WARREDOC Center of the University for Foreigners of Perugia, conversely the Joint Master of Disaster Management was held part in Kandy, Sri Lanka, at the University of Peradeniya, and part in Ancona, Italy, at the Università Politecnica delle Marche . To obtain the Master degree, students had to attend course work over a period of two semesters of 15 weeks each. The entire program was about 15 to 18 months duration inclusive of 3 to 6 months for the research. This report describes the didactic activities attended by 30 Sri Lankan students during the 2 nd semester at the Università Politecnica delle Marche from February 8 th to May 12 th . (http://www.pgis.lk/Newsimages/italy.html)