IIT Roorkee and Deakin University Advance Crisis Leadership and Disaster Resilience Partnership
IIT Roorkee and Australia’s Deakin University are working together to strengthen disaster risk reduction and resilience leadership in India. Their collaboration brings together IIT Roorkee’s Integrated Centre for Adaptation to Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainability (ICARS) and Deakin’s Centre for Humanitarian Leadership (CHL).
The partnership is intended to support leadership development, capacity building, research and knowledge exchange in disaster management and climate resilience. IIT Roorkee says the institutions are developing a Centre of Excellence for Disaster Risk Reduction Leadership in India, proposed to be hosted at its Greater Noida campus.
The partnership’s first joint activity, a three-day “Leadership for Crisis Managers” workshop, was held at the Greater Noida campus from October 27 to 29, 2026. The programme focused on crisis leadership and practical decision-making for people involved in disaster and emergency response.
Partnership at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Indian institution | Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee |
| International partner | Deakin University, Australia |
| IIT Roorkee centre | Integrated Centre for Adaptation to Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainability (ICARS) |
| Deakin centre | Centre for Humanitarian Leadership (CHL) |
| First joint activity | Leadership for Crisis Managers workshop |
| Workshop dates | October 27–29, 2026 |
| Location | IIT Roorkee Greater Noida campus |
Focus on Preparedness and Recovery
The collaboration addresses the leadership and coordination needs that arise before, during and after emergencies. The institutions’ stated areas of work include disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, post-disaster recovery and capacity building. The proposed Centre of Excellence is intended to connect academic expertise with government, industry and civil-society stakeholders.
The workshop was designed for crisis managers and used practical learning to build leadership capabilities. The Centre for Humanitarian Leadership described the programme as combining leadership development with India-specific sessions from IIT Roorkee and ICARS. The emphasis was on strengthening decision-making and collaboration when institutions face complex risks.
The partnership is an institutional collaboration, not an announcement of a new degree programme or a general student exchange. Students interested in disaster management, humanitarian response or climate resilience should check the participating centres’ official pages for research, training or academic opportunities. The workshop dates have passed, and the published information does not provide a new application window or schedule for a future programme.
Important Dates
- October 27–29, 2026: Leadership for Crisis Managers workshop held at IIT Roorkee’s Greater Noida campus.
- November 2, 2026: Date of the current partnership update.
Official Links
IIT Roorkee ICARS project information: https://iitr.ac.in/Centres/ICARS%20%28DST%20CoE%20at%20Greater%20Noida%29/Activities/Other%20Projects.html
Deakin Centre for Humanitarian Leadership workshop announcement: https://www.centreforhumanitarianleadership.org/the-centre/news/deakin-and-iit-roorkee-launch-joint-centre-for-resilience-and-recovery-leadership/
IIT Roorkee disaster-management centre: https://www.iitr.ac.in/Centres/Centre%20of%20Excellence%20in%20Disaster%20Mitigation%20and%20Management/Home.html
