Safety and security for fieldwork research
Professional skills courses
Course information
ECTS: 1,5
Number of session: 3
Hours per session: 5
Course fee:
- free for PhD candidates of the Erasmus University and CERES
- Online: € 300,- for non-members, offline € 400,- for non-members
- consult our enrolment policy for more information
Contact:
- Enrolment- and course-related questions:
ceres@ceresresearchschool.nl
Edition 1 (online)
Session 1
October 25 (Wednesday) 2023
13.00-18.00
Session 2
October 26 (Thursday) 2023
13.00-18.00
Session 3
October 27 (Friday) 2023
13.00-18.00
Edition 2 (offline)
Location:
International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague.
Room details will be shared when you register through CERES.
Session 1
June 26 (Wednesday) 2024
9:30-18:00
Session 2
June 27 (Thursday) 2024
9:30-18:00
Session 3
June 28 (Friday) 2024
Morning (exact times t.b.d.)
Registration: You can register directly through a Google Form (link here)
Please note that priority is given to participants of the CERES PhD Training Course.
Introduction
When conducting field-based research or fieldwork, researchers often operate within complex and dynamic social and political contexts, and derive their data from that environment. Both the quality of research and the security of the researcher are a function of how well-planned the research is, taking into account the local context and the risk environment.
This course, awarded with the prize for Best EGSH Course of 2021, is designed to assist researchers in conducting their research in hazardous, remote or complex environments as safely and securely as possible, both for those working within their home country, or as foreigners.
More information about this and other CERES courses can be found in the CERES 2023-2024 programme.
Learning objectives
- Prepare to travel to and work in the field in an insecure environment for the purposes of conducting research;
- Understand the security risk management framework and be able to apply this to personal and team security to reduce risk;
- Conduct a basic risk assessment and be able to identify security threats and their likelihood and impact;
- Be able to understand and apply personal risk assessment and risk reduction measures in a dynamic environment;
- Understand the link between personal security and security and integrity of research;
- Have an enhanced understanding of key preparations before, during and after travel;
- Identify the most prevalent threats to researchers and have an awareness of appropriate strategies as to how to best reduce exposure and minimise impact;
- Be aware of, and able to minimise personal and team vulnerabilities to threats;
- Understand what support to expect from the university and how to access this.
About the instructor
The course will be led by two members of the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), EUR: Professor Dorothea Hilhorst, Professor of humanitarian aid and reconstruction; and Rodrigo Mena, assistant professor of humanitarian aid and disaster governance.
The course is organised by CERES Research School for International Development. CERES is a Dutch research school for the field of International Development. The research school was founded in 1994 by six academic institutions in the Netherlands and has since expanded to include one institution in Belgium (Flanders). It has established links with many other universities and research institutes in the field of Development Studies both in the Netherlands and other European countries. The PhD researchers of Erasmus University Rotterdam also have access to the CERES courses (and free or discounted fees for members) via CERES institutional membership.