Our world is changing at an unprecedented pace, creating an increasingly uncertain future. Societies are facing a growing number of complex, interconnected and cascading challenges, including climate change, natural hazards, geopolitical conflicts, and a range of industrial, economic and environmental pressures. As these risks interact, they can push systems towards critical thresholds or tipping points, where relatively small changes may trigger rapid and potentially irreversible transformations. Such dynamics challenge traditional approaches to risk assessment and management, which often assume gradual and predictable change. By exploring alternative plausible futures and identifying potential tipping points, we can strengthen preparedness and develop more resilient and adaptive policies. Against this backdrop, this year's training focuses on the “integration of foresight into risk assessment”.
Disaster and Emergency Management course team at Coventry University will host a series of 10 online training seminars between September and November 2026, with the support from the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre (DRMKC) and the Cooperation Network of Risk, Safety and Security studies (CONRIS).
The training seminars series is embedded as part of the undergraduate year 2 module ‘Risk and Preparedness’. We welcome students and staff from CONRIS partner universities to participate in the seminars. Professionals and officers involved in risk management, civil protection and humanitarian assistance are also welcome.
Participants will be given the opportunity to consider a variety of disaster risk management tools and foresight strategies, from the European perspectives to global context. The initiatives of solutions to risks of modern life can be seen as part of global citizenship development for students.
Detail programmes are listed in the table below. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance if they have joined at least 8 seminars.