Once the current 21st training cycle is complete, 12 new trainers or instructors will join our team. Most of them were trained through our own in-house trainee programme. Let’s meet one of them: Han Pelster, a seasoned UNDAC and Red Cross expert from the Netherlands.
Han, what is your history within disaster relief management & training and the UCPM?
My career in disaster relief and training — alongside corporate crisis management — spans 15+ years and ties closely to the UCPM. I've served as an EU Civil Protection expert and team leader in preparedness, response, and recovery across government, humanitarian, and private sectors. Beyond UNDAC and Red Cross deployments, I've spent over a decade designing, delivering, and evaluating crisis management trainings at strategic, operational, and field levels.
Being part of our trainee programme: What does it mean to you?
Lecturing as a trainer at our Safety & Security Advanced courses let me contribute to the programme while simultaneously learning from it as a trainee. Since joining last year, I've refined my approach, blending operational experience with evolving methodologies. Even after all these years in the Mechanism, I've deepened my UCPM know-how and understanding. The traineeship offers a structured environment to exchange perspectives with experienced trainers, test new ideas, and strengthen the quality and relevance of the trainings you are delivering.
How will your MODEX and exercise experience benefit our course participants?
I have worked both as a trainer and facilitator in multiple EU MODEX exercises in different countries, plus in national and international simulations, UNDAC-related courses, HEAT trainings, Red Cross ERU exercises, and executive-level crisis scenarios. This lets me inject a larger sense of realism into exercises — tackling coordination hurdles, information management, leadership dilemmas, team dynamics, and of course the human factor under stress.
What are the challenges facing UCPM 2026 and beyond?
I think the UCPM faces increasing complexity. Climate-related disasters, cascading crises, geopolitical instability, and critical infrastructure dependencies are becoming more frequent and interconnected. At the same time, the operational environment nowadays is more crowded, data-driven, and politically sensitive.
How should these challenges be addressed already at the training level?
Start at the training level with realism: mirror the conditions people actually face during real deployments, not an idealised or simplified version of them. Integrate AI, new tech, and information systems to prepare deployable personnel not just for the next mission, but for sustained effectiveness in an evolving crisis landscape.
Interested in the UCPM Deployable Training Newsletter? Let us know info@tvc-academy.eu
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