Humanitarian Studies Initiative

The Lavine Family Humanitarian Studies Initiative (HSI) is Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s flagship training and professional development program. During its ten years of operation, HSI has trained over six hundred students through graduate courses at the Harvard School of Public Health as well as through professional workshop offerings.  Trainings offered by HSI are designed to prepare students for careers in humanitarian action by developing a core-knowledge of the practice, methodologies and complexities of humanitarian response, particularly in the context of working in the field.

Continuing Education

Each year HSI organizes professional development offerings for students from around the world. Information on workshops organized by HSI can be found on our Continuing Education page.

Publications

In 2010, the Humanitarian Studies Course incorporated applied technologies into the coursework for the second consecutive year. The goal of this evaluation report is to reflect upon and determine the next steps for the Applied Technology Learning Module and to better understand its impact on participant learning during the 2010 Humanitarian Studies Course. This evaluation concludes that improvements in 1) didactics and preparation 2) integration of crowdsourcing and GIS technology 3) satellite communications and 4) volunteer capacity resulted in a successful educational experience for future humanitarian responders.

Click here to read the report.

Humanitarian Studies Initiative Alumni

In its first 10 years, over six hundred students have completed HSI training programs.  Cohorts from each year include graduate students, medical residents and mid-career professionals.  HSI alumni have gone on to hold leadership positions in some of the premier humanitarian agencies in the world.  Positions held by HSI graduates include:

• Director of International Operations, International Medical Corps
• Assistant Conflict and Humanitarian Advisor, UK Department for International Development (DFID) in Uganda
• Director of International Emergency Medicine in the Division of Emergency Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital
• Project Manager, Tsunami Operations, World Health Organization Regional Office for South East Asia
• Program Manager, World Vision, Malawi
• Project Manager, Save the Children, Afghanistan
• Public Health Coordinator, Oxfam America
• HIV/AIDS Surveillance and Research Team, Botswana Ministry of Health
• Team Leader, Tsunami response team in Sri Lanka, Médecins du Monde
• Psychosocial Coordinator, International Rescue Committee, Uganda
• Protection Manager, International Rescue Committee, Burundi
• Emergency and Humanitarian Action Coordinator for Iran, World Health Organization
• Relief Coordinator in Emergency Response and Disaster Mitigation, World Vision International

HSI in the Media

See below for media articles, which have featured the work of HHI's Humanitarian Studies Imitative:

• "HSI Simulation in Harold Parker," The North Andover Patch, April 22, 2011
• "Simulation of Darfur Refugee Camp Trains Future Humanitarian Leaders," Harvard Public Health NOW, May 15 2009
• "Simulating chaos to teach order: Weekend workshop puts humanitarian students to the test," Harvard University Gazette, April 30, 2009
• "Local 'refugee camp' offers lessons for aid workers," The Boston Globe, April 26, 2008
• "Disaster in Berini: Mock humanitarian relief exercise gives students a reality check," Harvard Public Health Review, Summer Fall 2006
• "Parker State Forest Site of Elaborate Mock Disaster" Harvard Public Health NOW, May 12, 2006