Humanitarian Logistics Networks - PhD Workshop

In the spring of 2010 the Humlog-NET project will be in its final phases, with much of the empirical studies completed. These studies will then have been written up as cases, both as teaching cases and as case resources for the project group members. Th e studies as well as the theoretical development carried out in the Humlog-NET project will be of interest to a number of audiences, not least new PhD students. So far only a very limited number of PhD projects have been completed within the field of hum anitarian logistics. At the same time there are particular challenges when writing within the field of humanitarian logistics. The unpredictable nature of the field in responding to disasters and corresponding funding mechanisms, as well as the inaccess ibility of data due to conditions in the field are both important challenges for studies of humanitarian logistics. Furthermore, the field is still very much in a context of discovery making it imperative to disseminate project findings to new researcher s. There are many venues for such dissemination including academic journals, but direct contact between ongoing projects and new researchers is particularly relevant. Such contact is useful both for spreading findings, but also allows for reflection on practical research approaches in the field. To achieve the goal of research dissemination to junior researchers, Humlog-NET proposes a two day workshop for doctoral students in spring/early summer 2010. A workshop at this stage is particularly timely sin ce a number of fresh doctoral students have now started working on their PhDs. Over 20 of these attended the first doctoral course in Supply Chain Management In Disaster Relief held at Hanken in Finland on August 21-30th 2009. Furthermore, many will be at a stage where they face challenges in their PhD work and can profit from the opportunity to present this in a setting with their peers.