DMDU summer school

Dates: July 29 – August 2, 2024

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Hosts: The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) & The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)

Application Deadline: February 29th, 2024

Program overview

Offered in collaboration with the Society for Decision Making under Deep Uncertainty (http://deepuncertainty.org), the purpose of the DMDU summer school is to bring together graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, practitioners, and faculty for 1 week of intensive study and interdisciplinary training in DMDU.

The summer school is structured around three tracks:

Methods: courses focused on tools and methods used un DMDU research and work, this year offerings include:

• Scalable DMDU analyses using complex, high-runtime model (30hrs). Instructor: James Syme https://www.rand.org/about/people/s/syme_james.html
• Methods for Vulnerability Analysis (12 hrs). Instructor: Edmundo Molina https://www.edmundomolinamx.org/
• Data Visualization (10 hrs). Instructor: Antonia Hadjimichael https://www.hadjimichaelgroup.info/
• Introduction to Many Objective Robust Decision Making (15 hrs). Instructor: David Gold,  https://www.uu.nl/staff/DFGold
• Participatory DMDU Methods for Water Policy (4 hrs). Instructor: Nathan Bonham, https://www.colorado.edu/lab/krg/nathan-bonham
• Adaptive Pathways: Irene van Droffelaar

Policy: courses focused on the applications of DMDU in various fields. This year will specifically focus on applications of DMDU in Africa and developing economies

• DMDU applications to Water Policy (3 hrs). Instructor: TBD
• DMDU applications to Climate Mitigation Policy (3 hrs). Instructor: TBD
• DMDU applications to Energy (3 hrs). Instructor: TBD

Foundational: courses focused on understanding the theoretical foundations of the society’s work.

• Foundations of DMDU (6 hrs). Instructor: Dr. Robert Lempert https://www.rand.org/about/people/l/lempert_robert_j.html
• DMDU in public policy and group decision (6 hrs). Instructor: Dr. Steven Popper https://www.rand.org/about/people/p/popper_steven_w.html

The target cohort size for the summer school is 40 students. Past and new participants are welcome to apply. This year, each student will be able to configure their own training week. If you are new to the summer school, you are recommended to take the foundational courses and then choose the rest of the courses from among the elective offerings in the Policy and Methods tracks. If you have participated in summer school in the past and are interested in taking a new class you have not taken before, you are welcome to join us.

If you are interested in participating, please submit your application using the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/0ibqRh57aT

The deadline for applications for the summer school is February 29^th, 2024.

VISA requirements:

Except your country is a member of ECOWAS, you’ll need a visa to visit Nigeria. To apply for a Nigerian Visa, it generally takes a minimum of two weeks, but this timeline can vary depending on your country of origin. It’s important to plan ahead and check the visa requirements at least a 2 – 3 months in advance to ensure you have ample time for preparation. You can find the guidelines and application process information here and don’t forget to cross-check with your in-country Nigerian Consulate.   Here are some key things to keep in mind when applying for a Nigerian Visa:

• If you need a visa letter or any other supporting document from Nigeria, you can contact meeting@deepuncertainty.org
• Citizens of African countries can apply for a visa on arrival using this link.
• To obtain your visa from your in-country Nigerian consulate, you’ll need to complete an online application form and make a payment through their online platform.
  • You’ll then need to submit your application, passport, and other supporting documentation to the consulate.
  • As you are attending a summer school, the ideal visa type is a Business Visa or a Temporary Residence Visas
    • Note that there are multiple forms on the immigration website, so be sure to double-check which ones you need to submit (e.g., the Visa on arrival application form is different from the Visa application form).

Summer School Fees

To partially cover summer school expenses, there is a registration fee of 350 USD. However, if you are a student in any level (undergrad, postgraduate) or if you are a national from a developing country, then you can register for the annual meeting with a reduced fee of 150 USD. Developing Country participants are determined by the World Bank Country and Lending Groups (https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups). The reduced fee applies to Low-Income Economies/Low-Middle Income Economies only.

The leadership of the DMDU Society has secured funding for lodging and travel expenses to support a reduced number of accepted participants who applied for it. Support will be determined based on the quality of the participants’ applications and the desired structure of the cohort. If you wish to be considered for financial support, please indicate that in your application.