WELCOME FROM THE DIRECTOR

I am honoured to be appointed as the Director of the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Center (DPPC), Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), UTM as of 1 of June 2020.

As one of co-founders of DPPC back in 2015, this appointment brings its own unique responsibilities and challenges for DPPC leadership. We aim to become a world-class research and training centre for building resilience to disasters and climate change. Our mission is to facilitate national and international collaboration in applied research, training and field practice for disaster resilience in collaboration with Japanese and other partners from the world.

As a premier global academic and research institution, excelling in science, technology and engineering, UTM is very proud to lead the world. DPPC is indeed one of its strong assets. I believe we should bring our resources and efforts together and engage in active dialogue with various stakeholders to contribute and embrace our similarity towards promoting evidence-informed decision-making at all levels of public policy, discourse and action.

Our world is complex. Systemic, and interconnected issues of disaster, preventing its future risk requires a new paradigm to address the multiple and interrelated processes of vulnerability and risk. DPPC has built momentum towards this effort. Together with many strategic partners, we co-design and co-implement evidence-based local actions and advocacy campaigns in developing partnerships and coalitions for resilience. The inclusion of expert knowledge and local capacities are demonstrated in policies, and action plans, which help to build resilience of communities at various levels.

With cutting-edge research and social innovation, we actively engage policy makers, disaster managers, and various stakeholders towards supporting science-policy nexus and translating research into practice. This year, we are celebrating a 5-year anniversary of DPPC, and looking forward to accelerating the progress and achievements. We welcome all strategic partners and potential collaborators (public-private-academia-civil society) to work with us, enhancing our capacity, and revitalizing our DRR worlds.

With the DPPC present in this vulnerable region, I hope that we can address multi-dimensional needs for rebuilding lives, livelihoods, socio-economic and communities in adaptation for resilience, and promote coherence of global agenda towards accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Your support is most welcome!!

Khamarrul A Razak.