Five days of interdisciplinary training promoted by the University of Cagliari and the INGV, working together for territorial safety.
The meeting opened this morning at the Boscolo Hall of the University Campus of Monserrato. Summer School in Risk Prevention and Management, the first intensive high-level training school in Sardinia dedicated to natural and environmental risks.
The inaugural ceremony marked the start of a five-day training program, scheduled for June 22nd to 26th, involving 30 participants, including students, researchers, and professionals from various Italian regions, selected to develop advanced skills in risk prevention, management, and communication.
The opening of the Summer School was jointly curated by theUniversity of Cagliari and by the 'Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), scientific partners in the initiative's design and protagonists of a consolidated collaboration in the Sardinian territory.
During the inaugural session, the central role of cooperation between scientific research and institutions in strengthening the ability to read and manage natural phenomena was reiterated, also in relation to the prospects linked to the project. Einstein Telescope, the future European gravitational wave observatory candidate to be built in the Sos Enattos area.
The Summer School offers an interdisciplinary approach to risk management, integrating scientific knowledge, regulatory tools, and operational practices. This first edition of the program focuses on: hydrogeological risk, addressed through lectures, analysis of real-life scenarios and field exercises.
The training program guides participants from understanding the Civil Protection System to simulating complex operational activities, including the activation of the Municipal Operations Center (COC), with an approach geared toward coordinated emergency management.
The week will conclude on June 26th, with practical and demonstration activities and the awarding of certificates. The initiative is actively participating in the General Directorate of Civil Protection of the Sardinia Region, Cagliari Fire Brigade Command and Cagliari Committee of the Italian Red Cross, demonstrating the strong integration between the academic world and the emergency management operational system.
During the opening day, the strategic value of joint training between research and operational structures was highlighted, as a key element in strengthening response capacity and risk prevention in the region.
“The Boscolo Hall of the University of Cagliari hosted the opening session of the Summer School - declares Maria Teresa Melis, Scientific Director of the Summer School and Professor of the Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences - The participation of all the institutions that contributed to organizing this important event instilled in all participants the collaborative spirit that will guide each day. The theme of the Summer School is particularly significant because it represents a perfect intersection between research, education, and the transfer of knowledge to society. Indeed, the university is responsible for producing knowledge, training people, and returning the skills developed in its research fields to the community. In this case, the expertise of the Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, along with the University's administrative and research structures, are made available to a system that is as crucial to the country as the Civil Protection, Fire Brigade, and Red Cross.
“Participation in this Summer School represents an important opportunity for collaboration between INGV and the University of Cagliari on regional Civil Protection procedures and on hydro-meteorological risks. - declares Fabrizio Good morning, Director of the Environment Department of the INGV - This initiative is part of a shared journey that began in 2023, which we hope will continue and expand to include other topics of common interest.
“The Summer School represents one of the results of the collaboration between INGV and the University of Cagliari – declares Salvatore Stramondo, Director of the Earthquake Department of the INGV - The initiative contributes to the training of new professionals in the field of risk prevention and management, thanks to the expertise of university professors and researchers at INGV, which has always supported the National Civil Protection System.
“The diffusion of the culture of civil protection is a priority that cannot be postponed - declares Mauro Merella, Director General of Civil Protection of the Sardinia Region - Initiatives like this Summer School represent a first concrete step toward a more ambitious goal: the construction of the Regional School of Civil Protection, envisaged by the recent Regional Law no. 14/2026, which aims to make Sardinia a center of permanent training and excellence in these areas.
The Summer School is an advanced training and institutional collaboration laboratory, combining theoretical and practical aspects. The goal is to contribute to the development of a network of multidisciplinary expertise capable of increasingly addressing the challenges of natural hazards and territorial security.
Useful links:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
University of Cagliari (UniCa)
A moment from the opening session of the Summer School.