Postgraduate Course: Prescriptive Analytics in Humanitarian Logistics (CMSE11641)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Prescriptive analytics in Humanitarian Logistics provides an introduction to state-of-the-art quantitative modelling and solution methods for decision-making problems in humanitarian logistics. |
| Course description |
This course introduces students to concepts related to the quantitative modelling and analysis of decision-making problems in humanitarian logistics. The ultimate goal is to learn how to use mathematical programming and optimisation to make more efficient, effective, and equitable decisions in order to alleviate people suffering in disasters & overall humanitarian crises, such as socio-environmental disasters, epidemics and pandemics, hunger and food-insecurity, among other complex emergencies. The course starts presenting what disasters & humanitarian crises are, their types, categorisation, and an overview of how they are spread all over the world, as well as their consequences to human's life and global economy. Afterwards, the student will be exposed to the main logistics and supply chain problems involved in managing different phases of disasters & humanitarian crises, as well as how to represent these problems by means of mathematical programming. Case-studies covering different humanitarian problems will be presented throughout the course, thus equipping students with the proper tools to solve them and interpret their solutions.
The course will cover a subset of the following topics: (i) what is a disaster & humanitarian crises, as well as their types and categorisation in the global context. (ii) Commercial versus humanitarian logistics & supply chains: concepts and challenges. (iii) Disaster phases and disaster life cycle: how to improve the current disaster operations management. (iv) Mathematical programming models and methods in disasters & humanitarian crises management. (v) Equity and vulnerability in disasters & humanitarian crises management.
Weekly lectures and hands-on exercises & case-studies which enable students to implement the methodologies covered in class.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
60% coursework (individual) - assesses all course Learning Outcomes
40% coursework (group) - assesses all course Learning Outcomes |
| Feedback |
Formative: Feedback will be provided throughout the course.
Summative: Feedback will be provided on the assessment within agreed deadlines. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Motivate, describe, model and solve decision-making problems in humanitarian logistics settings.
- Critically appraise the suitability of different modelling techniques and assess the resulting optimised decisions and its implications to disasters and humanitarian crises management.
- Communicate findings effectively to a critical audience.
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Reading List
Carter, W. Nick, 2022, Disaster management: a disaster manager's handbook, Scientific Publishers (India) (ISBN 9390749999)
Quarantelli, E. L, 1998, What Is a Disaster? Perspectives on the Question. London: Routledge.
Sahay BS, Gupta S, Menon VC. Managing humanitarian logistics. Springer; 2016.
Zeimpekis V, Ichoua S, Minis I, editors. Humanitarian and relief logistics: Research issues, case studies and future trends. Springer Science & Business Media; 2014 Jul 8. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
-Critically evaluate and present digital and other sources, research methods, data and information; discern
their limitations, accuracy, validity, reliability and suitability; and apply responsibly in a wide variety of
organisational contexts
Knowledge and Understanding
-Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary organisational disciplines;
comprehend the role of business within the contemporary world; and critically evaluate and synthesise primary
and secondary research and sources of evidence in order to make, and present, well informed and transparent
organisation-related decisions, which have a positive global impact.
-Identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied business and management problems, and develop
approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore
and solve them responsibly. |
| Keywords | Humanitarian Logistics,Disaster Management,Humanitarian Crises,Mathematical Programming |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Douglas Alem
Tel: (0131 6)51 1036
Email: douglas.alem@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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