6 August 2022– AIT’s Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, and Management (DPMM) program organized the “DPMM Alumni Meet 2022”.
A total of 42 participants attended the event, organized as a platform for networking among DPMM alums, students, and faculty, to share ideas, experiences, and insights in disaster risk management and discuss opportunities for collaboration in the academic field and professional growth.
The DPMM program was established at AIT in August 2008 to instill interdisciplinary capacities in people on the front lines of disaster management. Within 14 years of its establishment, the DPMM community has grown to around 150 individuals, including current students and alums working in various disciplines and sectors, expanding its footprint to more than 24 countries worldwide.
Dr. Indrajit Pal, Associate Professor and Academic Program Chair, along with DPMM students, conceptualized the plan for reconnecting the alums, current students, and faculties. Mr. Ayush Baskota, Mr. Jeeten Kumar, and Ms. Arunswasdi Bhuridadtpong moderated and shared an update of the program, highlighting the different academic, research, and student activities. Prof. Mokbul Morshed Ahmad and Prof. Pennung Warnitchai, DPMM academic program committee, and faculty, recalled the need for establishing the program in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami to enhance disaster management capacity in the Asia Pacific region, and expressed delight in the contribution and achievements of the alumni in the field of disaster risk management across the world. DPMM is also establishing the ‘AIT Risk and Resilience Research Lab,’ aimed at integrated and multi-disciplinary research in disaster risk management and resilience. Dr. Pal invited alums for their contribution and cooperation in developing the lab into a knowledge hub of a global standard.
During the event, alumni Dr. Haitham Bashier and Ms. Ashrika Sharma shared their experiences of working in different disaster risk management sectors and urged students to develop skillsets such as leadership and management to excel in the field. The deliberation from alums was encouraging and exemplary for the current students. Dr. Saswata Sanyal, Mr. Bibhuti Bhusan Gadanayak, Dr. Shubham Pathak, and Ms. Sonath Abdul Sattar shared their perspectives on alum engagement in a panel discussion. They highlighted the immense opportunities for DPMM graduates in various sectors and the benefits of collaboration and networking among alums and students to tap into such opportunities. It was also recommended to develop an alumni engagement platform for the program and organize networking events to avail mutual benefits for outreach, research collaboration, and academic and professional growth. The discussions recharged and rejuvenated the linkages among the DPMM community, comprising of current students, alumni, faculties and staffs.
