Skills Acquired

HERO-HEALTH is designed to develop an advanced combination of analytical, operational, research, technological and leadership competencies for professionals working in complex humanitarian, Public Health and One Health environments.

Rather than focusing on a single professional discipline, the programme equips students to understand interconnected health, environmental and social risks; design and evaluate interventions; work across institutional and disciplinary boundaries; and make evidence-informed decisions under conditions of complexity and uncertainty. These competencies reflect the programme’s formal learning outcomes and its interdisciplinary curriculum.

Students develop the ability to:

• assess complex risks and the social consequences of disasters
• plan preparedness, response and recovery interventions
• design and evaluate humanitarian assistance in crises and emergencies
• analyse the causes and impacts of disasters
• develop integrated strategies for prevention, mitigation, response and recovery

The curriculum explicitly develops analytical tools for inclusive disaster management and the planning and implementation of humanitarian assistance in crises.

Graduates develop competencies to:

• recognise how crises affect populations differently
• identify vulnerabilities and inequalities affecting exposed communities
• incorporate inclusion and equity into intervention design
• consider human rights, protection and social justice in humanitarian action
• evaluate interventions through ethical, legal and socially responsible frameworks

Inclusive disaster management is a core component of the programme, with explicit attention to vulnerable and marginalised groups, while humanitarian assistance training addresses humanitarian principles, ethics, legal frameworks, human rights and protection.

Students are trained to:

• analyse Public Health challenges at local, national and international levels
• identify epidemiological, environmental, social and health determinants affecting populations
• apply One Health thinking across human, animal and environmental health
• understand global health governance and health policy
• examine health-system resilience, sustainability and preparedness

These competencies correspond directly to the programme’s formal learning outcomes and to the dedicated course in One Health, Global Health Policy, Health Systems Organization and Sustainable Development.

HERO-HEALTH develops the capacity to:

• make decisions in uncertain and rapidly changing environments
• coordinate interdisciplinary and multi-agency responses
• understand the roles and limitations of different actors involved in crisis management
• work effectively with public authorities, humanitarian organizations, academic institutions, communities and other stakeholders
• exercise leadership during humanitarian and health emergencies

The programme adopts an all-of-society approach to disaster management and includes immersive disaster simulations specifically designed to develop critical thinking, decision-making and humanitarian leadership.

Students acquire skills in:

• designing and evaluating research in humanitarian and emergency settings
• critically appraising scientific evidence
• analysing data to support decision-making
• translating research findings into practical interventions
• communicating research findings to both specialist and non-specialist audiences
• presenting uncertainty and data limitations responsibly

The curriculum includes Research Methods in Humanitarian Settings and Emergencies, a Master’s thesis and independent research, while applied coursework explicitly develops research communication and evidence-to-decision skills.

Depending on their course choices, students can develop competencies in:

• using contemporary digital technologies in disaster preparedness
• evaluating data-driven approaches to humanitarian and disaster management
• designing AI-supported workflows for crisis preparedness and response
• critically assessing algorithmic bias, transparency and accountability
• considering privacy, ethical constraints and the need for human oversight when using AI-supported systems

The dedicated elective on Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence addresses both the operational use and the ethical, legal and social limitations of algorithmic systems in disaster management.

Students develop skills to:

• analyse factors that strengthen or undermine community resilience
• identify risk and protective factors affecting population wellbeing
• understand mental health needs in humanitarian environments
• engage communities as active participants in preparedness and recovery
• consider the effects of poverty, displacement, violence and other vulnerabilities when designing interventions

The programme includes dedicated study of community resilience, engagement, population wellbeing and mental health needs, with particular attention to vulnerable populations.

Students who follow the relevant elective develop applied skills in:

• humanitarian supply-chain management
• procurement, transportation, storage and distribution
• resource management under constrained conditions
• operational planning and coordination
• designing and evaluating humanitarian logistics operations in environments characterised by uncertainty and limited infrastructure

The Humanitarian Logistics course explicitly addresses the planning, coordination and implementation of humanitarian operations, including procurement, transport, storage, distribution and resource management.

A defining element of HERO-HEALTH is the translation of knowledge into professional judgement through case studies, applied exercises, projects and immersive disaster simulations.

During the third semester, the programme includes in-person simulation-based education, while the dedicated simulation course develops advanced critical thinking, structured reasoning, decision-making and humanitarian leadership in realistic crisis scenarios.

Upon successful completion of HERO-HEALTH, graduates will be able to:

• analyse complex humanitarian, Public Health and One Health challenges
• assess risks, vulnerabilities and population needs
• design, implement and evaluate evidence-informed and inclusive interventions
• coordinate across disciplines, organizations and sectors
• make informed decisions in uncertain crisis environments
• use research, data and digital tools to support preparedness and response
• strengthen community resilience and the protection of vulnerable populations
• contribute to research and knowledge generation in humanitarian action, Public Health and One Health