IZIIS – Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology, Ss. Cyril and Methodius university in Skopje
Based on the recommendations of UN International Consultative Board, the decisions of the Government of Macedonia and the authorities of City of Skopje, the Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology – IZIIS, as unit of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, established was in May 1965 with strong support by UNDP and UNESCO. The initial mandate of IZIIS was to assist and supervise the post-earthquake reconstruction and
development of City of Skopje after 1963 earthquake and provide continuous research in the field of earthquake engineering and seismology. Since its establishment, IZIIS is the unique and focal point for education and training of engineers from the Balkan region in the field of seismic risk reduction, disaster preparedness and upgrade of seismic resilience of buildings and transport infrastructure.
The primary goal of IZIIS activities are protection of population and property, reduction of physical and economic damage against earthquakes. All the activities are in the domain of mitigation, preparedness and readiness toward resilient society.
Almost 55 years of IZIIS’s mission and practical involvement in the South-East Europe, Balkan and Mediterranean region and worldwide, visible from over 3000 scientific and applied projects reports, is summarized in the following points: (1) Research, development, education and training in main fields of earthquake engineering and engineering seismology; (2) Assistance (to the Governments) in mitigating the earthquake consequences and post-disaster recovery; (3) Development and improvement of technical regulations, standards and codes; (4) Laboratory and field testing for defining technical base of earthquake risk reduction; (5) Seismic monitoring and disaster forecasting; (6) Promotion of a risk prevention culture and community awareness and participation; (7) Consulting services in design of new and seismic strengthening of existing public buildings and infrastructure.
In the chapter 6.9 of the 4th edition of the N. Macedonian National Platform for disaster risk reduction (2019), IZIIS is cited as a scientific research institution with exceptional national importance in the domain of prevention and early warning related to earthquakes and other natural and technological hazards.
CMC – Government of Republic of N. Macedonia, Crisis Management Centre
The Crisis Management System is organized and conducted for the purpose of prevention, early warning and to handling crises that represent a risk to the goods, health and the lives of the people and animals that are result of natural disasters, epidemics or other risks that directly jeopardize the constitutional order and the security of the Republic of N. Macedonia or a part of it. The crisis management system includes gathering of information, risk assessment, situation analysis, development and implementation of the necessary actions for prevention, early warning and handling crises. Within the National Crisis Management System, an independent Government Institution - Crisis Management Centre (CMC) is established, with the main task of providing full administrative, organizational and expert support to the Governmental bodies that managing the system (Assessment Group and Steering Committee) as and all entities that play a role in the National Crisis Management System. In the execution of the crisis management tasks, the CMC performs the activities that refer to: - providing continuity of the inter-departmental and international cooperation, - preparation and updating of an integrated assessment regarding all risks to the security of the Republic; and - proposing measures and activities for resolving a crisis situation.
UPT-FCE - Polytechnic University of Tirana, Faculty of Civil Engineering
UPT-FCE is one of the oldest and most experienced Faculties in the Albanian Higher Education. It was established in 1951 as a Construction Branch in the framework of Higher Polytechnic Institute of Tirana and later as constituent part of Tirana University. In 1983, Faculty of Civil Engineering was established as an independent unit included in UT.
Since the establishment of the Polytechnic Institute and up to the present, FCI as a main unit of PUoT, has contributed to a successful history for our country. The greatest and most important works in the field of construction and architecture bear the seal of progressive and scientific thinking of the engineers and architects graduating from the auditoriums of FCE. Actually, 6200 students have received the degrees in different Profiles, among them 3500 as Civil Engineers, over 1000 as Hydrotechnics Engineers, over 900 Architects and Urbanists, over 300 Environmental Engineers and over 500 Geodesy Engineers. Currently, 4123 students are attending their studies at FCE, in all the Profiles.
It has five departments which include Department of Building Constructions and Transport Infrastructure, Department of Mechanics of Structures, Department of Environmental Engineering, Department of Hydrotechnics and Hydraulics and Department of Geodesy.
AUTH – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
The Laboratory of Soil Dynamics and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (SDGEE) (sdgee.civil.auth.gr) of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), belongs to the Civil Engineering Department, which according to the 2015 QS ranking, is classified 51st among the top world and 16th among the European Civil Engineering Departments. AUTHSDGEE has a long and worldwide-recognized expertise and know-how in the following fields, among others: geotechnical earthquake engineering, soil dynamics, numerical and stochastic methods in geotechnical and seismic engineering, dynamic soil-foundation-structure-interaction, engineering seismology and strong ground motion, site effects and micro-zonation studies, lifeline earthquake engineering, and vulnerability and risk assessment of structures and systems. AUTH-SDGEE is running the large experimental facility EUROSEISTEST (euroseisdb.civil.auth.gr) a unique in Europe and worldwide facility in earthquake engineering, soil dynamics and engineering seismology. AUTHSDGEE has actively participated in many European and national research projects, for example: SERA, EPOS, SYNER-G, EUROSEISTEST, STREST, SIBYL, REAKT, SAFELAND, SHARE, SERIES, PERPETUATE, NERA, LESSLOSS, RISK-UE.
EUCENTRE - European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering, Pavia, Italy
The Eucentre Foundation, European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering, based in Pavia (Italy), is a non-profit organisation that promotes, supports and sustains training and research in the field of risk mitigation. Although Eucentre’s research is multi-hazard in nature, a wealth of experience in national and international seismic hazard and risk assessment is at the core of its activities. Eucentre, being centre of competence of the Italian Department of Civil Protection has participated, since the foundation, to emergency activities giving support in postearthquake reconnaissance investigations. Moreover, Eucentre supported the Department of Civil Protection in developing the IRMA (Italian Risk MAps) platform, which constitutes the core of the seismic section of the National Risk Assessment document and which is addressed to the scientific community to produce risk maps and damage scenarios for the Italian territory. Through the participation to several research projects on prevention and preparedness (i.e. projects funded according to DG-ECHO scheme), Eucentre experienced modern post-earthquake survey strategies and techniques, and developed tools for the elaboration of damage risk scenarios. As the partners know each other well and have a long track record of successful and harmonious collaborations (SERIES, SHARE, INFRANAT framework projects, bilateral cooperation etc.), they will contribute significantly to the realization of the project’ objectives.