pgstudies
Welcome to Stellenbosch University

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Research Alliance for Disaster and Risk Reduction (RADAR)

​The Research Alliance for Disasters and Risk Reduction (RADAR) is a research and service centre Stellenbosch University based within the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies.

South Africa which is committed to advancing capacity building in the disaster risk field through academic programmes and short courses, as well as conducting research and enhancing knowledge concerning hazards, vulnerabilities and risks within the Western Cape region, South Africa and the African c​ontinent at large.

​RADAR is a member of the Periper U (Partners Enhancing Resilience for People Exposed to Risks) consortium, a partnership of research units and departments from 12 African universities which focus on advancing research and capacity building in risk and vulnerability reduction action on the continent.

RADAR's ​objectives are to:

  • Offer academic and professional disaster-risk-related programmes and modules.
  • Produce and disseminate research that improves understanding and management of disaster risks.
  • Advance disaster risk awareness through training, policy advocacy and strategic continental engagement.
  • Establish partnerships and build networks with relevant role players in disaster and risk reduction.

The cross-disciplinary one-year Diploma programme aims to provide students with an integrated understanding of disaster risk and its implications for sustainable development in Africa, with a strong but not exclusive focus on South Africa. It emphasizes understanding the interactions between social and physical risk producing processes, and builds students’ capacity to plan and implement comprehensive risk reduction measures. It provides a grounding for multiple career paths, including teaching, research and practice.

The course also serves a bridging programme for students wishing to enter RADAR’s MPhil in Disaster Risk Science and Development, but do not hold the required postgraduate qualifications.​

Like the Postgraduate Diploma, this cross-disciplinary MPhil programme aims to provide students with an integrated understanding of disaster risk in South and Southern Africa, but emphasizes developing research skills. It seeks to enable students to understand the interactions between social and physical risk producing processes, and equip students with the skills to investigate, analyse and understand disaster risk.

Focus areas include interdisciplinary risk research approaches, methods and tools and the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing for risk reduction. It too provides a grounding for multiple career paths, including teaching, research and practice.


POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS​​

  • PGDip​ (Disaster Risk Studies and Development)
​​  MASTER'S DEGREES​
  • MPhil (Disaster Risk Studies and Development)​​​​

Application Process