National Emergency Planning College
Nasjonalt utdanningssenter for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap Underlandsveien 9 P.O.Box 53 - 1380 Heggedal Norway Phone + 47 66 98 96 00 Fax + 47 66 78 04 31 E-mail nusb@dsb.no

Organisation and principal aim
The college is organised under The Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB).

The principal aim of the college is to train all categories of personnel in emergency planning and crisis management within the context of a Total Defence strategy, thereby helping to:

- reduce the vulnerability of the nation’s infrastructure and other areas of vital importance, both military and civilian.

- reduce the disruptive impact of disaster or war and safeguard life, health and the welfare of the population.

- keep the civilian population and the defence forces supplied with essential goods and services in times of war and disaster.

- ensure the effective use of existing resources in peace-time.

Courses and seminars
National Emergency Planning College is a national forum for representatives of national and local governments, the emergency services, the armed forces and volunteer groups where they can meet to exchange insights on emergency planning and crisis management practices.

The college holds around 50 courses and seminars every year with the following goals:

- (1) to provide information on emergency planning. «Civil Emergency Work» is a basic course for everyone with contingency responsibilities, and «Local Contingency Management» is a course for political and administrative leaders at the municipal level.

- (2) to take crisis-prevention action in peace-time and reduce vulnerability in time of war. The courses offered are «Risk- and Vulnerability Analysis», «Contingency Precautions in Community Planning» and «Emergency planning». These courses are designed for different target groups and problems.

- (3) to manage crisis in peacetime and reduce the destructive impact of war.
Courses are offered in crisis management and crisis information, some courses are tailored to the needs of local authorities and other courses for the offices of the county governors.

- (4) to develop and maintain senior-level expertise in co-ordination and co-operation within specific areas. Courses and seminars vary from year to year, but seminars are held every year for the staff of the county governors. Different courses in the management of nuclear disaster are also held, and every summer the college holds a conference for all the government ministries.


As we move into the future of this millennium, new and complex threats affect the agenda for training and education. Also, the scientific and practice-based development in education and learning must guide our efforts. Training highly competent civil servants, officers and students is a great and rewarding challenge, urging us to benefit from recent technological advances, i.e. Internet-based studies and programs, network centric learning activities oriented towards the adult learner with his/hers need for a holistic and realistic approach - formally based in science, practice experience, and technology. Decentralized programs must go hand-in-hand with on-campus activities.

In addition to the specific courses offered at NUSB, undergraduate – and graduate programs have been developed in close cooperation with Buskerud University College (BUC which a.o. offers an international masters degree in Disaster Management) and University of Stavanger (UiS which a.o. offers an international masters degree and PhD in Civil Protection and Emergency Planning), all of which are formally credited in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS):

- Strategic Crisis Management and Staff Management (BUC), 15 ECTS
- Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (UiS), 10 ECTS

Additionally, specific courses offered by the National Emergency Planning College have been merged into formal undergraduate modules, in cooperation with Buskerud University College. The participants may choose to complete only the individual courses (thereby receiving a course certificate) or to complete the entire module, thereby earning a college diploma. The following modules are offered anually:

Strategic Crisis Management, 5 ECTS
- Course in Crisis Management
- Course in Crisis Communication
- Course in Strategic Crisis Information Management

Risk, Vulnerability, Safety, and Security, 5 ECTS
- Course in Risk and Vulnerability Analysis
- Course in Preventive Security
- Course in Object- and Information Security

Civil Protection, Emergency Planning, and Civil and Military Cooperation, 5 ECTS
- Course in Civil Protection and Emergency Planning
- Course in Civil and Military Cooperation

Personnel from many different organisations and authorities take a break from busy work schedules to concentrate on issues and various aspects of emergency planning and crisis management. Training must be followed up with exercises on their home ground, and the college provides some degree of assistance to the staff of the county governor offices and local authorities in designing and holding exercises.

It is impossible for the college staff to be experts in every aspect of emergency planning, so networking is very important. Each year outside experts and adjunct faculty are brought in from universities, university colleges, government agencies, The Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning, the offices of the county governors, local authorities and the police to give presentations at the college. The National Security Authority, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority are among our most important networking partners.

Location and how to get there
National Emergency Planning College (NUSB) is located about 25 km west of Oslo, in Heggedal in the municipality of Asker.

From Oslo central station take the Spikkestad suburban railway line to Heggedal, and you will be close to our front door in about 30 minutes.

If you are arriving Norway by air, take the airport shuttle train to the end of the line, in Asker. From Asker station it is less than 10 minutes by taxi. If you give us a call, we will send our own minibus to pick you up. 

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