A Study on Disaster Awareness and Knowledge among International University Students in Istanbul

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 128 - 134, 01.06.2017

A. Nazan Akman Pek M. Helmi Abidin

Abstract

Istanbul is one of the largest metropole cities with more than thirteen million
inhabitants. The city is also home to many foreign students from all over the
world, studying in more than 30 universities. It is a known fact that Istanbul is
prone to many risks including earthquakes, heavy rain and floods, landslides,
forest fires, industrial explosions and fires, wind and snowstorms, heat wave,
fog, transportation accidents and terrorist attacks. This study focused on
foreign students attending eight universities in different parts of Istanbul. The
survey is designed to collect information on the students’ disaster awareness,
knowledge of disasters and potential risks in the city and preparedness. 194
foreign students have participated in the survey and were interviewed. They are
from 61 different countries. During disasters, foreign nationals who do not
speak the native language may be considered among vulnerable communities,
as they will not understand directives, other crucial information released
during, and following a disaster. The results of the survey shows that the foreign
students are not much aware of the potential risks, most of them do not know
what do to during disasters and they do not have emergency plans. The
exceptions are the students who have had personal disaster experiences in the
past. Therefore, more research has to be carried on foreign nationals’ needs
before, during and after disasters. It is the opinion of the authors that the
universities need to provide more background information on the topic and
develop materials for foreign students on disasters for better orienting them.  

Keywords

Disaster Awareness, Disaster Risk Reduction

References

• Abidin, Helmi M. (2014), A Study of Disaster and Risk Perception among International Students in Istanbul Turkey, M.Sc. Thesis, Istanbul Technical University Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Management Institute, Istanbul, Turkey. Akman Pek N., (2016), Disaster Awareness Lecture Notes (in Turkish), published on ninova elearning platform, 2016 Available: http://ninova.itu.edu.tr/Ders/2345/Sinif/22181/Dosyalar. Guha-Sapir D., Below R., Ph. Hoyois - EM-DAT: The CRED/OFDA International Disaster Database – www.emdat.be – Université Catholique de Louvain – Brussels – Belgium, extracted 2017. Karasar, N., (1994), Bilimsel Araştırma Yönetimi [Scientific Research Method], pp. 66-68 Ankara: Tekışık Press. ÖSYM 2012 report: International Student in Turkey (source: Student Selection and Placement center), http://www.osym.gov.tr/ana-sayfa/1-0/20141214.html: retrieved: May 2016. Sherry, M., Thomas, P. & Chui, W.H., (2010), “International students: a vulnerable student population”, Journal of Higher Education, Volume 60, Issue 1, pp 33–46, doi:10.1007/s10734-009-9284-z TUİK (Turkish Statistical Institue), www.tuik.gov.tr, extracted: 2015.