Disaster prevention, reduction, and relief are critical to ensuring the safety of people's lives and property, as well as maintaining social harmony and stability. They serve as important indicators of a ruling party's leadership, government executive power, national mobilization capacity, and national cohesion. In recent years, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, significant achievements have been made in disaster prevention, reduction, and relief. Valuable experience has been gained in responding to major natural disasters, and the country's comprehensive disaster reduction capabilities have been markedly enhanced. The development of disaster prevention and reduction has been incorporated into the institutional reform directives of the Central Committee and the State Council.
However, China still faces complex and severe natural disaster risks. The current mechanisms for disaster prevention, reduction, and relief require further improvement, particularly in terms of disaster information sharing and resource coordination. The mindset of prioritizing relief over prevention remains prevalent. In some regions, urban areas face high risks while rural areas lack adequate protection. The role of social forces and market mechanisms has not been fully utilized, and public education on disaster prevention and reduction remains insufficient. Therefore, in accordance with the National Comprehensive Disaster Prevention and Reduction Plan, the *National 13th Five-Year Plan for Scientific and Technological Innovation*, and the *Outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development*, new requirements have been put forward for cultivating outstanding talent in disaster prevention and reduction for the new era.
To further enhance talent cultivation in this field, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) has established the Disaster Prevention, Reduction, and Relief Science and Engineering program. Keeping pace with the times, the program leverages the university's existing experimental resources to build a dedicated teaching and experimentation center. It focuses on the following areas:
Mechanisms and theoretical frameworks of major natural disasters
Key technological systems for disaster prevention and reduction
Development of risk databases and information service platforms for major natural disasters
Industrialization of disaster prevention and reduction equipment
Technological upgrades of major operational platforms for disaster prevention and reduction
The Department of Disaster Prevention, Reduction, and Relief Science and Engineering was established in July 2019. It currently offers:
A undergraduate program in Disaster Prevention, Reduction, and Relief Science and Engineering (the first and only specialized program approved by the Ministry of Education in 2018)
A professional master's program in Resources and Environment (Meteorological Engineering direction)
Academic master's and doctoral programs in Interdisciplinary Emergency Management
The program's main research directions include:
Theories and key technologies for major natural disasters
Monitoring, early warning, and forecasting of extreme weather events
Meteorologically derived disasters
Space weather disasters and forecasting
New detection equipment for disaster prevention and reduction
Laws, regulations, and mechanisms for disaster prevention, reduction, and relief
In the past five years, faculty and their teams have received numerous awards and honors, including:
Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievements in China's Meteorological Industry since the 13th Five-Year Plan (reviewed by the China Meteorological Administration)
First Prize of the Dayu Water Science and Technology Award
Second Prize of the Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award
Second Prize of the China Occupational Safety and Health Association Science and Technology Progress Award
Third Prize of the Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award
Third Prize of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Science and Technology Progress Award
Advanced Individual in National COVID-19 Response by the Jiusan Society
Advanced Individual in Participation and Deliberation of State Affairs (2018–2020) by the Jiusan Society
Students guided by faculty have won awards in major innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, including:
National Second Prize and Provincial Special Prize in the Challenge Cup National College Students Academic and Technological Works Competition
National Silver and Bronze Awards in the Internet+ College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition
Provincial Second Prize in the National College Students Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Competition
Second Prize in the Jiangsu Provincial Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Competition
The department aims to cultivate outstanding talent equipped with theoretical knowledge, methodologies, and technical skills in disaster prevention, reduction, and relief. Graduates will become applied and interdisciplinary technical professionals in fields such as extreme weather warning, secondary disaster management, space weather disaster forecasting, equipment development, and the construction of laws, regulations, and mechanisms for disaster prevention and reduction.
Through professional education, graduates of the Disaster Prevention, Reduction, and Relief Science and Engineering program and the Resources and Environment program will be well-prepared to work in:
National public institutions such as disaster reduction departments of meteorological bureaus, earthquake administrations, State Grid, environmental protection bureaus, water resources bureaus, transportation bureaus, landscaping bureaus, and natural resources and planning bureaus
Research institutes focused on disaster prevention and reduction
Enterprises specializing in disaster risk assessment