The number of catastrophes that occur, whether natural or man-made, is increasing. Assistance to populations in need of support is expanding. Support for the basic needs of populations, such as food, shelter, water or health care is relevant, but so it is providing support during the crisis itself.

The number of disasters that occur, whether natural or man-made, is growing. Aid to populations in need of support is ever-increasing. Support for the basic needs of the population, such as food, shelter, water or health care, is relevant, but so is support during the crisis itself.

Humanitarian Action involves several phases in its process, from preparation, to the assistance phase, to the conclusion of the assistance. Many are the challenges that arise throughout the process and any approach requires an integrated view of various areas of knowledge that allow not only to support this action but also its planning, organization and monitoring of results.

Addressing Humanitarian Action involves a multidisciplinary vision, which poses a challenge to those who, in organizations, enable this response, because as specialists in a particular area they may not have the aggregated view of situations to develop the best response to each specific case.

The Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, with its multidisciplinary nature, found, in 2018, in its four Schools (School of Management, School of Sociology and Public Policy, School of Social Sciences and Humanities and School of Technology) the different valences necessary for an integrative vision of Humanitarian Action.

Providing the most appropriate humanitarian responses increasingly involves the professionalization of its agents, and the demand for professionals with technical skills in humanitarian action is growing. The creation of educational programs in Humanitarian Action is contributing to train professionals with the necessary qualifications, and their offer in different formats allows to reach a wide range of audiences interested in acquiring this type of skills. The Humanitarian Action program promotes the debate of major themes through conference cycles and other types of events, as well as participation in international research projects.