An agreement has been reached with Shanghai Normal University to establish a GRIP Center of Excellence for Risk Assessment and Management (CERAM) with funds provided by the Chinese Government. The GRIP-CERAM Shanghai will be launched on October 29, 2011 in a one-day event that will have the participation of representatives of the Chinese Government, authorities of Shanghai Province, international organizations working on Disaster Risk Reduction and members of the Chinese Academia.

Besides the creation of the Center of Excellence, the agreement contemplates development of practices in disaster risk assessments in China, within GRIP’s methodological framework; provision of technical support and services to other countries to enhance South-South Collaboration in disaster risk assessments, with a focus on capacity development; and implementation of joint fund raising activities to support the agreed collaboration.