Multi Hazards
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Dealing with Crises
Registration
The registration takes place via RWTH Online and is possible from September 15th till October 9th. Further information about the registration process can be found in our FAQ.
All students can register for one module. You can specify two preferences. Please use the numbers “1” and “2”. If you have not been assigned a place in the project after the end of the assignment and are still interested in participating, please contact sibel.yildirim[@]ipw.rwth-aachen.de directly.
(If you have any problems with the registration or with RWTHonline, please contact Mrs. Sibel Yildirim (IPW), also stating your matriculation number: sibel.yildirim@ipw.rwth-aachen.de)
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Academic Responsibility
Gender and Diversity in Engineering Research Group
Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management
Contact Person
Alina Meyer B.a.
Schedulue
Start
21.10.2025
Time
Tuesday, 18:30-20:00 h
Place
S10, C.A.R.L., Claßenstr. 11, second floor
Contents
With regard to increasing natural hazards, such as floods and earthquakes, innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions are needed to strengthen the adaptability of socio-technical systems and infrastructures. In order to develop such solutions, students need skills that enable them to deal with uncertainty and complexity as future “change agents”. Co-operative and interdisciplinary approaches and skills are still essential for this. This course therefore aims to sensitise students to dealing with natural hazards from their respective specialist perspectives.
By presenting theoretical concepts and fundamentals from the fields of risk research and disaster management, among others, students will gain an insight into current scientific and interdisciplinary discourses. Building on this, a crisis-specific case is worked on in multidisciplinary teams with a focus on “learning from failure” with regard to various failure and adaptation mechanisms and creative solutions are developed.
Learning Outcomes
After completion of the course, you are able to
Explain theoretical concepts in the context of disaster management
Explain the relevance of disaster management for your own professional training
Identify and analyse failure mechanisms and actors involved in selected disaster scenarios
Derive implications for future disaster events
Present your results convincingly to people from other disciplines
Program
Please note that the number of available slots for participation in the examination is limited. If you are interested in the topics of the individual presentations, we warmly invite you to attend the sessions after registering in advance with Alina Meyer via email.
21.10.2025
Introduction and Motivation I (only for seminar participants)
Dr. Ann-Kristin Winkens,
Department of Gender and Diversity in Engineering (GDI), RWTH Aachen University
Jens Reinert,
Chair and Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management (IWW), RWTH Aachen University
28.10.2025
Introduction and Motivation II (group work – only for seminar participants)
Dr. Ann-Kristin Winkens, GDI, RWTH Aachen
Jens Reinert, IWW, RWTH Aachen
04.11.2025
Crisis Management in Civil Protection – Structures, Training and Challenges
Dr. Martin Weber
Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assitance
11.11.2025
Roadmap for Flood Emergencies at the Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband (EGLV)
Dr. Daniela Falter
Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband
18.11.2025
“There Are No Natural Disasters” – Perspectives from Social Science Disaster Research
Dr. Cordula Dittmer
Disaster Research Uni (DRU), FU Berlin
25.11.2025
Environmental Risks and Psychosocial Factors
Prof. Dr. Christian Kuhlicke
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), University of Potsdam
02.12.2025
Multi Hazards in the Context of Geohazards
Prof. Dr. Klaus Reicherter
Teaching and Research Area Neotectonics and Natural Hazards, RWTH Aachen
09.12.2025
It’s Complexity, Stupid – Why It’s So Difficult to Warn the Population About Dangers
Dr. Benjamin Scharte
International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW)
16.12.2025
Pitches (only for seminar participants)
Dr. Ann-Kristin Winkens, GDI, RWTH Aachen
Jens Reinert, IWW, RWTH Aachen
03.02.2026
Feedback and Conclusion (only for seminar participants)
Dr. Ann-Kristin Winkens, GDI, RWTH Aachen
Jens Reinert, IWW, RWTH Aachen
Procedure/Working method
Depending on the course of studies, module and examination, credit points can be achieved through participation. If you would like to take an exam, please make sure beforehand how you can get credit for it in your degree program. Of course, you can also take exams without receiving curricular credit for them. Visit our FAQs for more information.
Certificate
Group Presentation + Individual Reflection Report (4 CP)
