Disastrous Doctorates

10/10/2025

📢 Expressions of Interest (EOI) for attending Disastrous Doctorates 2026 are now OPEN! Please share this post far and wide around Aotearoa New Zealand ➡️

🤝Join us at the University of Otago in Ōtepoti Dunedin on 9 & 10 February 2026. More detail is available in the registration form below 👇

is an annual, interdisciplinary, multi-day, in-person symposium for PhD and Masters students doing disaster-related research. It's a great forum to connect, share research, present findings, and learn about career management from others 👨‍🎓.

👥 Organised by students for students, this annual event fosters a community among researchers from diverse fields, including , , , , , and more!

🙏 The symposium is generously supported by New Zealand research centres and aligned organisations (but other financial sponsors welcome to get in touch to help us enable more students to come😁).
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ℹ️ Submit your EOI via this link➡️ https://forms.gle/p85rjPVadN2V8Sf2A

🗓️EOI open until 24 October 2026 - so submit your interest now so you don't miss out on this great opportunity!
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🔥 We hope to see you there!

University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, University of Otago, Massey University - Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, The University of Waikato, University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, QuakeCoRE: NZ Centre for Earthquake Resilience, Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, Earth Sciences New Zealand

29/07/2025

📣 Save the Date! 🗓️

We’re excited to let you know that Disastrous Doctorates 2026 will be held on 9 and 10 February at the University of Otago in Ōtepoti Dunedin. More details and expressions of interest are coming soon – but for now, mark your calendars and get ready with your disastrous research!

10/02/2025

DD2025 at The University of Waikato
Thank you all for attending the symposium. See you all next year.

Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake QuakeCoRE: NZ Centre for Earthquake Resilience School of Engineering - University of Waikato

10/02/2025

It is with deep shock and sadness that we share the sudden passing of Distinguished Professor David Johnston on Sunday, 19 January, following a medical event.

David was a founding mentor, a steadfast supporter and a passionate advocate for Disastrous Doctorates. His unwavering commitment to helping others—especially students in the disaster field—touched countless lives. Many of us would not be on this PhD journey without his generosity, whether through funding, supervision, advocacy, knowledge-sharing or simply creating opportunities for us to be heard.

“We express our deep gratitude to Distinguished Professor David Johnston for his dedication to supporting emerging researchers and championing the establishment of Disastrous Doctorates in 2006. His inspiration will live on through DD alumni throughout New Zealand and around the world.”
—Disastrous Doctorates founders, Tom Wilson, Caroline Orchiston and Julia Becker

David made space for so many, and his impact is immeasurable. As Disastrous Doctorates continues to grow, his legacy will live on, guiding and inspiring the next generation of disaster scholars.

Thank you, David. From all the past, present and future DD students.

We paid tribute to David at the Disastrous Doctorates 2025.

17/10/2024

Join us for the Disastrous Doctorates 2025 at the University of Waikato, Hamilton.

To register your interest, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/2h1RXV36pSnTcZwE7

Deadline: 25 November

For more details, visit our website: https://sites.google.com/view/dd2k25?usp=sharing

Hurry up, seats are limited!
Please complete the form as soon as possible if you require travel and accommodation support.

14/10/2024

🌟 **Get ready for Disastrous Doctorates 2025!** 🌟

Join us for this exciting symposium that brings students across Aotearoa New Zealand to showcase groundbreaking, multi-disciplinary disaster research! 🚨🌍

🗓 **18th Annual Event:** January 30th-31st, 2025
📍 **Location:** University of Waikato, Hamilton

Stay tuned for further details and the expression of interest! It's going to be an event you won't want to miss!!

05/02/2024

Thank you to everybody who attended Disastrous Doctorates 2024! It was great to hear everybody's 3MTs and from the very knowledgeable keynotes!
Thank you to the sponsors: Toka Tū Ake EQC, Te Hiranga Rū QuakeCoRE: NZ Centre for Earthquake Resilience, and Resilience to Nature's Challenges (credit to Jenny Stein for the great pic!!)
We will be sending out a feedback form and registration of interest for organising the 2025 event shortly

16/10/2023

Five spaces left for Disastrous Doctorates 2024!!
Register now:

Disastrous Doctorates is a forum for disaster-related doctoral students, which welcomes participants from a range of disciplines including engineering, earth science, emergency management, geography, law, psychology, business etc. The aim of this forum is to bring together students across the disast...

25/08/2023

Join us for the highly anticipated Disastrous Doctorates Conference 2024!
Disastrous Doctorates is an annual multi-day symposium uniquely tailored for PhD students enrolled at New Zealand universities who are directly engaged in the study of disaster-related topics. This symposium offers a platform for students to connect, exchange ideas, and learn from both their peers and subject matter experts. We welcome students from across the full range of disciplines, including social sciences, engineering, geology, geography, law and more!

Key Highlights:

Expert Presentations: Engage with researchers and experts who are leaders in disaster research. Gain insight into the latest advancements, challenges, and emerging trends that are shaping the disaster research field.

3-Minute Thesis Showcase: Present your research as a 3-minute thesis! This exciting opportunity enables you to spotlight your research, improve your presentation skills, and receive valuable feedback from your peers.

Skills Workshops: Sharpen your skills with a series of workshops. Discover effective communication strategies to convey your findings in academic journals and your thesis.

Social Networking Event: Unwind and connect during our social event tailored for networking. Forge meaningful relationships, exchange experiences, and cultivate friendships that have the potential to shape the course of your PhD journey and beyond.

Poster Evening: Present your research in a captivating poster format, in collaboration with the Cluster for Community and Urban Resilience (CURe). Join this event open to the wider research community to help build connections beyond the symposiums.

Don't miss this opportunity – Register today!

Date: 30th-31st of January 2024
Location: University of Canterbury
Registration form: https://forms.gle/hHq4G5ju4sm7hFp9A
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/dd2024/home

If you require accommodation and travel support, please fill out the form as soon as possible so this can be arranged.

Any questions can be sent to [email protected]

Disastrous Doctorates is a forum for disaster-related doctoral students, which welcomes participants from a range of disciplines including engineering, earth science, emergency management, geography, law, psychology, business etc. The aim of this forum is to bring together students across the disast...

16/08/2023

📣For those of you planning to attend Disastrous Doctorates, consider this Risk Analysis conference also in Ōtautahi Christchurch from 1-2 February (same week as DD2024 🎉)!

🗒️Abstracts close on Friday and it's a great conference to meet others involved in risk research!

Check out their website for more information and to submit your abstract. https://buff.ly/3XztqYg

22/06/2023

Get ready for Disastrous Doctorates 2024!

Disastrous Doctorates is a symposium for students in Aotearoa New Zealand promoting multi-disciplinary disaster-related research

The 17th annual symposium will be held at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch from the 30th-31st January 2024

Scan the QR code or visit the website in our bio (https://sites.google.com/view/dd2024/home) to express your interest!

Programme and accommodation/travel details will be released later so follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up to date

24/02/2023

We are happy to successfully conclude DD2023.

Thank you to the sponsors, mentors and to all our amazing participants.

DD2023 Organizing Committee