What are the most interesting innovative projects in the field of humanitarian aid?
What damage can a poorly thought-out project do and how can the damage be prevented?
Why is this important to know, no matter what field you pursue?
Innovation is a buzzword in all fields – and humanitarian aid is no exception. Under conditions of time pressure, limited resources, and the urgent need to save lives, it is inevitable to look for original solutions. At the same time, however, we need to avoid uncritical enthusiasm, constantly evaluate the benefits of practices, and monitor unintended negative impacts.
That is why this course is here:
it wants to explore current scientific knowledge
and demonstrate practice of humanitarian innovators.
The course addresses the topic of innovation in humanitarian aid, but its contribution is broader - it addresses the question of how to use innovation truly effectively and how to avoid unintended impacts. And the answers to these questions are useful beyond humanitarian aid.
Find out what leading humanitarian organisations are working on
Learn to think critically about innovation
Better understand the opportunities and risks of technological developments
The course is designed for all the CUNI students - undergraduate, masters and doctoral programmes - and the public who are interested in innovation, want to learn more about it and are ready to actively participate in the course.
The course will be open with a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum capacity of 25.
The lectures and the final conference are open to the public outside the CUNI.
The course is held in English and in full-time.
In the first four sessions we will look at the basic concepts underlying innovation in humanitarian aid. The next four sessions are dedicated to guests from the field who will present their work. Finally, students will form teams and select topics to address in their final project, in which they will develop their own presentation on their chosen topic. We will present these presentations at the final meeting of the exam period.
Cooperation with volunteers - Digital Humanitarians
Creating maps for crisis mapping
Transporting people and materials to the most remote locations
Big data processing and privacy protection
Innovating medical procedures and medicines
CU students enrol via SIS, the subject code is TVOL0020
CU doctoral students and CU employees enrol via CU Educational portal.
1. Attendance - max 2 absences allowed
2. Reading and actively participating in the discussion of the class texts
3. Preparation of the final presentation
4. Completing the evaluation
Upon completion of all requirements, students will receive 4 ETCS, an open badge and a certificate (public participants will also receive an open badge and certificate).
Jan Böhm
For the last 15 years he has been working in humanitarian aid and development cooperation with a specific focus on the use of digital technologies in communication, fundraising and aid delivery.
Since 2015, he has been working with Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). First, he started as a digital strategist for the Czech branch of the organization, where he took care of the development of digital fundraising and communication. He founded the Czech community of Missing Maps, a technology project in which volunteers redraw satellite images for humanitarian organizations. As a community manager, he then worked to develop similar volunteer communities around the world. His current role is to oversee digital communication in the 25+ countries of the countries in which MSF operates - from crisis monitoring to developing country-specific communications strategies.
Contact the teacher with any questions:
Jan Böhm
E-mail:
Twitter @janbohm
The Centre for Knowledge and Technology Transfer of the Charles University
Office address:
Petrská 1180/3
110 00 Prague 1
Telephone: +420 224 491 255
E-mail:
Mailing address:
Ovocný trh 560/5
116 36 Prague 1
Czech Republic
IN: 00216208
TIN: CZ 00216208
