Humanitarian Futures in Asia
VIEW EVENT DETAILSLuncheon presentation by Dr. Michael Vanrooyen
Director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University and Professor, Harvard School of Public Health
Registration at 12:15 pm
Luncheon at 12:30 pm
Close at 2:00 pm
Humanitarian assistance in times of war and disaster remains a complex undertaking. Although many organizations have developed significant capacity to provide relief to victims of natural and man-made crisis, the landscape of disaster relief is rapidly changing in Asia and across the globe. The challenges of urbanization, climate change, political insecurity and restricted access complicate the provision of emergency assistance. Meanwhile, new organizations and technologies may allow us to provide higher quality care to vulnerable populations and demonstrate quality and value. Harvard University’s Michael VanRooyen will explore the major drivers of humanitarian crisis in Asia, describe major new innovations in the field of disaster relief and outline the role Harvard can play in advancing these innovations.
Dr. Michael VanRooyen is the Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) at Harvard University. He is a Professor at both Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, and is the Vice Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. VanRooyen has worked as a relief physician in over 30 countries affected by war and disaster, including Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq, North Korea, Darfur-Sudan, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has been a policy advisor to several UN and governmental agencies, including the World Health Organization and UN OCHA.