DIGIHAZ is a flagship research initiative funded under the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education Programme (SCOPE-HE), a collaborative framework that strengthens ties between universities in the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This programme promotes joint research and capacity building in areas of global importance such as green transition, digital transformation, and the blue economy.

At its core, SCOPE-HE is an initiative funded by the European Union, with a total budget of approximately €9.3 million, running from 2024 to 2028 under the wider EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package. The programme builds on earlier cooperation models like the EU Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region (SHARE) and ERASMUS+, and aligns with strategic EU priorities such as Global Gateway, fostering deep educational, research, and people-to-people links between the two regions.

Implementation of SCOPE-HE is led by NUFFIC, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, which serves as the programme’s primary managing body, working in close partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Together, these two institutions coordinate grants, mobility schemes, network development, and research connectivity activities that drive the programme’s objectives forward.

Within this framework, the SCOPE-HE Academic Connectivity Grant was launched as a competitive funding opportunity for clusters of four to six higher education institutions from both the EU and ASEAN. From more than 120 proposals, only three projects were selected, each tackling one of the programme’s priority themes. Among these, DIGIHAZ, led by the University of Alicante (Spain), specifically focuses on strengthening research capacity in digital transformation as applied to natural hazards.

The DIGIHAZ project brings together institutions from Spain, Greece, Malaysia, and the Philippines to develop a new PhD programme in Digital Transformation for Natural Hazards. This initiative trains researchers in cutting-edge tools including big data, machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and computational modeling to advance disaster risk reduction capabilities and better address climate-related natural hazards. The doctoral programme is expected to improve research capacity and equip future leaders with the skills needed for real-world impact.

In essence, DIGIHAZ is not only a research project; it exemplifies how EU funding, through structured programmes like SCOPE-HE and managed by expert partners such as NUFFIC and DAAD, can catalyse transformative cooperation between regions. By enabling joint doctoral training, researcher exchanges, and cross-regional innovation, initiatives like DIGIHAZ contribute to a more connected, resilient, and sustainable future for both the EU and ASEAN.

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This initiative is funded by the European Union, implemented by Nuffic, the Netherlands’ organisation for internationalisation in education, in partnership with the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), and partner universities: Universidad de Alicante, The University of West Attica, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, University of the Cordilleras, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and Universiti Utara Malaysia. DIGIHAZ strives to lay a strong foundation for regional climate resilience and disaster mitigation.

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