NEWPORT, R.I. – U.S. Naval War College (NWC) hosted a series of lectures and a simulation focusing on climate change and humanitarian response for a group of students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), March 26.
The day-long event included a cohort of 13 graduate and undergraduate MIT students interested in the science behind climate change and civilian-military solutions to disaster response challenges.
“When our friends at the MIT Priscilla King Gray (PKG) Public Service Center reached out to us about the opportunity to get our experts together with their amazing students, we immediately jumped at the chance,” said David Polatty, director of NWC’s Humanitarian Response Program (HRP). “We need to continue to examine how students who focus on math, science and engineering approach the same disaster response challenges that militaries face when conducting humanitarian assistance operations.”
Sarah Bouchard, community engagement manager of the PKG Center, said the motivation to contact NWC was directly driven by student demand.
“Our program hopes to expose students of various disciplines to professional pathways, institutions and experts so they can better understand problems on the ground, and how they can better engage with those same partners in the future,” said Bouchard. “So many students have shared their motivations and interests with us. The students have this urgent sense of responsibility.”
Bouchard works with partners like NWC to create and offer immersive learning opportunities to MIT students that deepen their understanding of the world and often take them outside of their comfort zone.
During their visit, students listened to lectures and joined in a seminar discussion with NWC faculty and Brian McKenna, an atmospheric scientist and NWC-affiliated expert in climate science. They also explored the scientific forces behind climate change and examined coordinated emergency response scenarios for what could be increasingly frequent and severe weather hazards.
Brittany Card, an assistant professor at NWC and a member of the HRP, engaged the students in a discussion on global populations that have been displaced by disasters.
“Humanitarian operations are extremely complicated, when you combine that with the effects of climate change and the dynamics between civilian and military responders, it’s a steep learning curve,” said Card. “What I found really exciting was how well the students performed in a simulation designed to challenge them. That’s the best indicator of their commitment and the day’s success.”
The three-hour simulation was adjudicated by an expert team of NWC faculty and staff on the historic gaming floor in Sims Hall. It featured real geography and 3D models of U.S. Navy ships and aircraft.
Students were required to make the operational decisions of military and humanitarian non-governmental organization (NGO) responders in the first three days after a post-category five hurricane scenario.
They were challenged to learn and apply new information about NGO missions and procedures, U.S. Navy platforms and capabilities, and host-nation priorities in a rapid onset emergency.
“The focus on needs assessments data really enhanced the student experience and resulted in some truly fantastic interactions between the different student teams,” said Card. “I got a real sense that everyone walked away with an increased understanding of the operational challenges of responding to a humanitarian crisis and they were excited at the prospect of participating in future simulations."
Bouchard and Polatty agreed.
“Participation in well-planned exercise like this lets students experience aspects of responding to a real disaster under controlled conditions,” said Bouchard. “It's an extremely valuable practice facing complex social problems from a professional perspective that you wouldn't otherwise have yet.”
“Our students need to be able to explore the range of maritime capabilities available to support senior decision-makers during a complex response operation,” said Polatty. “We introduce a lot of stress and information in a deliberately short time span. The simulation isn’t designed to be forgiving because that’s not how we improve in this field.”
The HRP is currently working with multiple academic, NGO and military partners to develop new and tailored response simulations for use in the 2019 academic year. The scenarios under development address issues including pandemic response, urban humanitarian and evacuation operations, and climate change.
The program is part of NWC’s College of Maritime Operational Warfare. Their goal is to improve the U.S. Navy’s and international militaries’ effectiveness in conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.