Partnerships

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 215 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 30,000 students and manages a research portfolio of more than $450 million.

The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.Virginia Tech is considered the U.S. leading research institution on resilience.

The Global Forum on Urban and Regional Resilience was established in 2013. GFURR is a presidential initiative at Virginia Tech, which works to bridge research to policy and practice in order to address risk. GFURR aims to build resiliency at regional and urban scales in a global context. Its mission is to contribute to new and dynamic ecologies of resilience by connecting nodes of excellence globally.

Michigan State University, USA has a long tradition of integrated, risk-based systems approaches to enhance human health security through its multidisciplinary academic strengths and research tools. MSU is a key primary U.S. knowledge partner for the implementation of risk-based human welfare and security approaches to address the challenges of global health issues.

In 2012 Lou Anna K. Simon, President of Michigan State University, USA  and Walter J. Ammann, President of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Both parties agreed to jointly foster international cooperation in One Health.

The Beijing Normal University, China is a research-oriented university with a history of more than 100 years. During the last two decades, the Beijing Normal University has developed a strong education, training and research program on risk and disaster science in China which lays great emphasis on exchange and cooperation with international education, training and research institutions.

In 2010 Peijun Shi, Professor and vice president of Beijing Normal University, China and Walter J. Ammann, President of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Both parties agreed to jointly promote and develop research on disaster and risk and to co-organize international scholarly events.

The Graduate School of Social Work of the University of Denver has a long tradition of innovative and integrated approaches in the field of social development and social-ecological resilience through its multidisciplinary academic excellence, and its research and education programme.

On Thursday, 30 August 2012, during the International Disaster Risk Conference IDRC Davos 2012, Prof. Dr. James Herbert Williams, Dean of the Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, USA and Walter J. Ammann, President of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Both parties agreed to promote the design, development and application of innovative approaches in the area of OneHealth research, education, training and consulting.

The Warner College of Natural Resources has grown to become a comprehensive natural resources college, with academic programs and research in forest sciences, fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, geosciences, rangeland ecology, recreation and tourism, watershed management and environmental sciences.

The College has traditionally been very involved in supporting the local farming community. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) tracks Colorado's rare and imperiled species and habitats, and Colorado Water Knowledge provides water information of all kinds. The Environmental Learning Center, , hosts many CSU research projects and educational programs. The Western Center for Integrated Resource Management works on sustainability and profitability with graduate students and local farmers.

On an international scale, the college provides technical assistance, training, and research opportunities for protected area managers and students in over 28 sites in Latin America, Asia, and the United States.

Mike Manfredo, Director of the Human Dimensions and Natural Resources  Department at the CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources in Fort Collins, U.S.A. and Walter J. Ammann, President of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos have signed a Letter of Intent in 2010 and have thus formalized a collaboration which existed already for some years in the field of risk management, sustainability and natural resources management, in particular in the fields of DLDD (desertification, land degradation and drought) as a tripartite effort together with UNCCD. CSU and GRF Davos want to strengthen their collaboration in the future, in particulary addressing the One Health approach.

The Joint Research Centre is the scientific and technical arm of the European Commission. It is providing the scientific advice and technical know-how to support a wide range of EU policies.

As the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support throughout the whole policy cycle. Working in close cooperation with policy Directorates-General, the JRC addresses key societal challenges while stimulating innovation through developing new methods, tools and standards, and sharing its know-how with the Member States, the scientific community and international partners.

The European Commission, represented for the purpose of signing this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Dr. Roland SCHENKEL, Director General of the Joint Research Centre, and the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos, have signed an MoU to provide customer driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development implementation and monitoring of European Union policies. The combination of the world’s growing population with expanding urbanization and globalization has greatly aggravated the risk potential to all communities and nations. Both parties want to address the variety of risks that face communities, from natural hazards to technical and biological risks, from pandemics to terrorism – all across different political institutions, national and international organisations, countries and business sectors. The Parties have expressed their mutual desire to promote further strategic co-operation and for that purpose, they agreed to conclude the present MoU. The main objective of this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is to provide a general framework for promoting collaboration between the two parties in S&T areas of mutual interest.

The Nanyang Technological University, Singapore is a well-established, research-intensive tertiary institution with a vision to be a great global university founded on science and technology. The vision of ICRM (Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management) is to become Asia's leading research institute in catastrophe risk management. The work of ICRM will help those at risk worldwide in general, and in Asia in particular. In alliance with other leading research institutions worldwide, ICRM will stimulate ideas, develop strategies, investigate policy implications and create new perspectives.

In 2011 the Foundation Global Risk Forum GRF Davos and the Institute of Catastrophe Risk Management of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster risk reduction and disaster management research and applications for the benefit of society and the environment an to promote learning and capacity building in risk reduction and disaster management, in particular in developing countries.

The collaboration focuses on:

• developing agendas of research and applications, and monitoring capacities in the field of risk reduction and disaster management ( integrative risk management concepts, urban risk reduction, critical infrastructure protection, climate change adaptation, financial engineering, microinsurance, etc.) ; 
• promoting methodologies and best practices so as to develop and implement participative and inclusive risk reduction and disaster management practices and policies;
• facilitating knowledge management through enhanced collaboration towards building capacities in access to data and information as well as disseminating technical expertise, training materials, and good practices;providing a common platform for advisory services and technical assistance, including exchange of collaborators;
• organization of consultations for preparation of programmes, curricula and educational and technical materials on risk reduction and disaster management, and environmental and social sustainability.

TIEMS is an international, independent, not for profit organisation based in Belgium. It maintains a global forum for education, training and certification in emergency and disaster management. The international expert network connects users, planners, researchers, industry, managers, response personnel, practitioners, social scientists, and other parties interested in emergency and disaster management. With it's expertise, TIEMS also initiates and takes part in research & development projects which aims at developing or/and improving methods and technologies. Further, an international education, training and certification program is being developed which has an international pool of teachers and trainers with courses on key topics in emergency and disaster management.

A partnership of networks agreement has been signed between The International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS) and the Global Risk Forum Davos by the presidents Kåre Harald Drager representing TIEMS and Dr. Walter Ammann representing GRF. According to the agreement, the two networks plan to intensify the contact between their members and seek to endorse each other's efforts and events by regularly informing about the activities of the other partner.

The Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture of the Inter-American System; and its mission is to support the efforts of the Member States to achieve progress and prosperity in the hemisphere through the modernization of the rural sector, the promotion of food security and the development of an agricultural sector that is competitive, technologically prepared, environmentally managed and socially equitable for the peoples of the Americas in line with the aims of its Medium Term Plan and Strategic Action Plan envisaged for the period 2010-2014, which also reflects the Millennium Development Goals and Objectives-MDG’s, as well as, Adaptation Approaches to Climate Change.

A partnership has been signed between The Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Global Risk Forum Davos by Dr. Manuel Otero representing IICA Brasil and Dr. Walter Ammann representing GRF. The mission and the objectives of this Agreement are to promote collaborative efforts in risk reduction and disaster management on an international scale and foster transfer of knowledge and know how through networking and well-coordinated cooperative activities.

At the „Managing Alpine Future II Conference“, taking place from from 21 - 23 November 2011 and organized by the Center for Climate Change Adaptation Technologies alpS GmbH  Innsbruck/ Austria, the AlpS Managing Director Dr. Eric Veulliet and GRF Davos President Dr. Walter J. Ammann signed a Memorandum of Understanding for future close cooperation in integrative risk management and climate change adaptation. Sharing common goals and policies, successful cooperation in the past, and being based in the alpine region are best prerequisites for a fruitful cooperation to achieve the common goal to cope with challenges and risks ahead.

On Friday 3 June 2011, at ICLEI’s „Resilient Cities 2011” Conference in Bonn, ICLEI’s Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmermann and GRF Davos’ President Dr. Walter J. Ammann have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for future close cooperation. GRF Davos in its capacity as a think tank in integrative risk reduction and disaster management will support ICLEI and its city members from a methodological perspective on how to systematically analyse, assess and mitigate risks, and to provide guidance and tools on how to evaluate and apply the most effective measures for risk reduction, disaster management, and climate change adaptation. GRF Davos and ICLEI also have agreed to closely cooperate in the organization of future conferences like the Resilient Cities or the IDRC Davos Conferences and to coordinate efforts on how to raise awareness and bridge gaps between politics – science – the private sector – practice – and the public at large.

On Tuesday, 28 August 2012, during the International Disaster Risk Conference IDRC Davos 2012 the Honorable Mayor of Tabriz, Mr. Alireza Novin represented through Mr. Masoud Hassann Nejad Amjadi and Walter J. Ammann, President of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The parties want to address the variety of risk that Tabriz is facing, from the various natural hazards like flooding, earthquakes, wind and snow storms to technical and biological risks , and to health risks with pandemics, just to name a few.

The Municipality of Tabriz, I.R. of Iran is the capital of the East Azerbaijan Province situated in the north-western part of Iran. With an estimated population of 1'400'000 Tabriz is the fourth most populous city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad, and Esfahan. On 11 August 2012 a strong earthquake struck in the region around Tabriz, leaving at least 306 people dead and over 3000 people injured. GRF will assist with its expertise in reconstruction and in the readjustment of the Iranian earthquake standards.

11 January 2012 Prof. Gustavo Orlando Álvarez Álvarez, Rector of the Universidad Pedagógica y Technológica de Colombia UPTC and Walter J. Ammann, President of the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The parties expressed mutual interest in collaboration in scientific and technological areas as well as in university-level education and training.

UPTC is a major research and teaching University with a direct interest in the process of disaster risk reduction as applied science and service to the community. UPTC has a mission to enhance capacity for achieving an integrated understanding of disaster risk and its implication for sustainable development.

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