FLACSO RD graduates first group of specialists in Disaster Risk Management

Santo Domingo.– The Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences Program FLACSO RD, celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of its Specialization in Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management. The professionals received international accreditation from the FLACSO System after completing a year of intensive training, in a program, a pioneer in the country, which equipped them with skills in analysis, research methodologies, and the design of public policies with an intersectional, human rights approach and a humanist vision.

You can also read: Education graduates 300 young students from the diploma

Zaira Pujols, coordinator of the specialty, valued the academic achievement as a commitment to protection as the central axis of development.

“Their training allows them to go beyond the natural event to identify and analyze the structural vulnerabilities that make it a disaster,” he assured.

Professor Carlos Arenas emphasized that the new specialists are trained to understand how inequities multiply the impact of a threat, understanding that risk management is inseparable from the pursuit of social justice.

“The country needs to strengthen its analytical capabilities to understand risks in all their complexity, incorporating the social, economic, political and environmental dimensions, and contribute to a shared resilience agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he said.

In representation of the graduates, Linandra Javier expressed her gratitude to the institution, the teachers, and family for their support throughout the demanding training process. She pointed out that the degree obtained reflects not only the effort and dedication of each graduate, but also the responsibility to apply the acquired knowledge, contribute to the resilience of communities, and the construction of sustainable solutions.

The event was attended by engineer Juan Salas, director of Civil Defense of the Dominican Republic, and Senator Rafael Barón Duluc Rijo, representative of the province of La Altagracia.

At the closing, the opening of registrations for the second cohort of the specialty in comprehensive disaster risk management was announced, to begin in 2025, as well as the publication of research papers by the new specialists in order to strengthen the national bibliography in an area so crucial for the country.

About FLACSO RD

With a presence in 13 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, FLACSO is a center of academic excellence in social sciences. In the Dominican Republic, it develops postgraduate programs, research, and continuous training in areas such as risk management, education, international relations, democracy and governance, communication and culture, strengthening capacities and generating knowledge to face social, economic, political, and environmental challenges in the region.