The graduating students and faculty members pose for photos after the graduation ceremony held at GRIPS (16 September 2010).
Five faculty members in the front row (left to right): Prof. Jayawardena (ICHARM), Prof. Morichi (GRIPS), Prof. Okazaki (GRIPS), Prof. Takeuchi (ICHARM), and Prof. Tanaka (ICHARM).

ICHARM conducted the one-year Master’s course, “Water-related Disaster Management Course of Disaster Management Policy Program (JICA training Program “TRAINING FOR EXPERT ON　FLOOD-RELATED DISASTER MITIGATION”),” from 28 September 2009 to 18 September 2010. It is a joint effort with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).

This Master’s course is unique in several aspects. For example, students can learn with many practitioners in charge of disaster prevention in developing countries and make networks with course alumni. It emphasizes development of problem-solving capability. To this end, it is designed to help students enhance their capacities of coming up with and propose solutions to problems they face in their home countries. It requires only one year for students to earn a Master’s degree. In addition, it focuses more on practical than theoretical aspects of disaster management.

Out of thirteen who initially started the course, although one student returned to his country due to family matters, twelve students (three from Indonesia, two from Bangladesh, one each from China, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines) finally met the graduating requirements and obtained a Master’s degree in disaster management. After the graduation ceremony, the new graduates proudly returned to their home countries with their enhanced expertise.

Of all the students, Mr. Partha Pratim Saha (Bangladesh) and Mr. Somchit Amnatsan (Thailand) especially achieved outstanding accomplishments. Both made oral presentations at the general conference of the Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources, which was also one of great achievements of this course. Mr. Partha was given the Dean’s Award by GRIPS as the most excellent student in the Disaster Management Policy Program. Mr. Somchit was awarded the Best Research Award by GRIPS and PWRI, as well as the ICHARM Sontoku Award by ICHARM.

For more details, see the PWRI Technical Note No. 4182 (PDF 16,365KB).

Mr. Somchit delivers a presentation on his study at a conference of the Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources.


Mr. Partha shakes hands with Dr. Oyama, a GRIPS dean, receiving the Dean’s Award.