UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER supports summer courses at Central European University

UNOOSA/UN-SPIDER is supporting two summer courses at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary this July. The application deadline for both courses is 15 March 2015.

Bridging ICTs and Environment - Making Information Talk and Technologies Work will take place from 6 to 10 July 2015 and is co-sponsored by UNOOSA's Programme for Space Applications. The course is furthermore supported by Esri, with support from the Eye on Earth Initiative and United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Global Universities Partnership for Environment and Sustainability ( GUPES). It aims to bridge the gap between decision- and policy-makers and ICT technologies (e.g. GIS, remote sensing), making data and emerging technologies more accessible, usable, and relevant for decision-making. It is focused on the application of ICTs in water management and security and is a preparatory activity for the Eye on Earth Summit 2015. The target audience for the course includes environmental mid-career professionals, decision-makers, and relevant university teachers and researchers working in the field of water management and water security.

Bridging ICTs and Environment - Innovations in Disaster Risk Management will take place from 13 to 17 July 2015. This course aims at bridging the gap between decision- and policy-makers and ICTs in the realm of disaster management and risk recovery. Building upon existing UNDP experience in disaster management, innovations and the latest ICT advances in these topics will be covered with the aim of building the capacity to manager disaster risks and more effectively responding when disasters hit. The target audience for the course includes UNDP Country Offices in the Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia; National Focal Points of International Conventions; relevant government officials (e.g. Ministries of Emergencies, Environment), researchers and civil society representatives. A UN-SPIDER expert will teach a module of the course. It is organised in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, and the Secretariat of Black Sea Commission.