“The most important thing in any crisis situation, be it man-made or natural disaster, is coordination. Coordination of government agencies at the national and local level, and coordination of the population,” said Dr. Naim Kapucu

Dr. Kapucu, an international expert on public policy and crisis management, conducted training on “Managing Emergencies and Crises for Public Sector” on March 12-13 at Nazarbayev University, where he spoke about challenges government managers face in emergency situations. The training included, among other things, an example of crisis response during the recent earthquake in Almaty.

“Disasters serve as ‘focusing events,’ offering opportunities to learn and improve emergency and crisis management policies. The recent earthquakes in Almaty provide a strategic lens for public leaders in Kazakhstan to assess and enhance emergency management practices,” stated Dr. Naim Kapucu, University of Central Florida professor, and holder of many public policy awards.

The professor emphasized the complexity of challenges faced by public managers in emergencies, where legal responsibilities for life, property, and continuity of operations are paramount.

The training addressed a range of critical issues faced by public managers in emergencies. Participants delved into basic crisis management principles, contingency planning, disaster recovery strategies, and business continuity protocols. The training fostered practical applications through group work, case studies, and problem-solving sessions. Participants also discussed emergency management at the global level, drawing lessons from 9/11, terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, floods in Australia, earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

 The training was organized by Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy in collaboration with of the Astana Civil Service Hub (ACSH). Mr. Alikhan Baimenov, ACSH Chairman, in his welcoming speech, noted that natural and man-made emergencies that have occurred in recent years in our country, such as explosions in Arys, fires in the Abay region, the recent earthquake and mudflow in Almaty, which indicate the importance of studying best practices in the field of emergency management and crises.