Centre for Disaster Management & Research (CDMR), IIT Guwahati kick started its activities through an international webinar jointly organized by Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India and Indo-Japan Lab (IJL), Keio University, Japan on 12 July 2021. The international event, Paradigm shift in disaster risk reduction: Role of academics, research, innovation and policies, was convened by Dr. Sudip Mitra, HoC, CDMR, IITG. Prof. T G Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati, delivered the inaugural address, followed by the thematic address delivered by Prof. Rajib Shaw, Keio-IJL, Keio University, Japan. Following, special addresses were delivered by Shri Gyanenda Dev Tripathi, CEO, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA); Maj. Gen. Manoj Kumar Bindal, Executive Director, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM); Dr. Bhavani V., FAO, Dhaka, Bamgladesh; Dr. Prabhakar, SVRK, IGES Japan; and Dr. Daniela Lloyd-Williams, Director, JAC Trust, United Kingdom. The international event was participated by nearly 250 participants. The event was organized in an online mode.