AIM, ASSIST hold forum on Disaster Risk Management

Asia is now a step towards improving disaster risk management as the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), conducted the 2nd Dev Forum: Disaster Risk and Crisis Management 2018 last November 28, 2018 at the AIM Campus.

The forum was yet another initiative of AIM in developing a “Disaster-Ready and Resilient Asia”, as the institute has also recently launched the Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (EMDRCM), an 18-month program which aims to equip students with the skills they need to build resilient Asian organizations and communities using management and leadership principles, as well as good business practices.

Inspired by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the purpose of Dev Forum 2018 was to encourage key leaders and managers in various sectors and industries to appreciate the need for understanding and strengthening disaster risk governance to better manage crisis and disaster risks, investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and enhancing crisis and disaster preparedness for effective response and recovery.

From L-R: Sreenivas Narayanan of ASSIST, Robin Bradshaw of Cathay Pacific, Lesley Cordero of The World Bank, Vinod Thomas of AIM, Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go of AIM-ZSDM

Joining this year’s discussions were distinguished experts in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management such as: Professor Kenneth Hartigan-Go of AIM’s Stephen Zuellig Graduate School of Development Management (ZSDM), and Atty. Lesley Cordero of the World Bank.

Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Head of AIM-ZSDM, delivering the opening remarks on behalf of Dr. Jikyeong Kang.

During his opening remarks, AIM ZSDM School Head Professor Kenneth Hartigan-Go said that the forum, as well as the launch of the EMDRCM, was a result of an increasing demand for effective disaster management, given the numerous natural and man-made calamities that Asia suffers at an alarming rate.

The forum covered topics such as organizational resilience and enhancing business continuity, crisis communication, and challenges and opportunities in community assistance and protection. It was attended by executives and managers from international multilateral agencies, civil society organizations, business leaders, government institutions, media, the academe, the AIM community, and the public.

Motoo Konishi, Distinguished Fellow in Development Management at AIM, formally closing the 2nd Dev Forum.

Motoo Konishi, Former Country Director of the World Bank, closed the forum by stressing Asia’s need for disaster risk management and leadership programs, “The luxury of time is over. Every hour we take to make a decision, there are people in the middle of a disaster, there are people without homes who are dying in action now.”

The Second Dev Forum: Disaster Risk and Crisis Management 2018 was held to complement the upcoming Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management of AIM. Slots are still open for the June 2019 intake. For more information and to register, visit the AIM EMDRCM official website or contact Allych Padilla at [email protected] and 02-892-4011 ext. 1605.

ADVT