Focus on education

The need for a scientifically literate populace is increasingly recognized as critical in many countries, as they face the consequences of increasing population pressures, limited resources and environmental degradation. Basic science literacy, coupled with scientific "ways of knowing" – namely drawing conclusions based on observation, experiment and analysis – provides citizens with the tools needed for rational debate and sound decision-making based on scientific knowledge" (from the 2011 report of the ICSU Ad-hoc Review Panel on Science Education).

Geoscience education and particularly education on extreme natural events and disaster risk is profoundly important for basic science literacy of the population living at risk. Moreover, a special attention should be given to economically less-developed countries.

The Advanced School on Understanding Prediction of Earthquakes and other Extreme Events in Complex Systems covers a wide range of the recent developments in the field of natural and socio-economic extreme hazards and disaster risks. During two weeks school, prominent experts in the relevant area of research, will deliver lectures and give seminars to earlier career scientists mostly from developing countries. For more detail, please visit the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (www.ictp.it) The program of the school can be downloaded here