Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss how long term risk prevention and civil protection may enter in university programs for environmental engineers and urban and regional planners. Design/methodology/approach: First the distinction between long term risk prevention and emergency preparedness is made, showing that while the first has entered in university programs the second is still considered too practical. The opposite is sustained by the author, providing as an argument the demand coming from the same civil protection officials who are aware of the capabilities that are required to face large emergencies. They want to learn how to make recourse to the large knowledge acquired in risk studies and to experiences and models so as to forecast the events potential development. Findings: The paper describes how this expertise has been enacted in special programs designed for EU and Italian professionals in the field of civil protection. The development of an external emergency plan for a hazardous installation in the vicinity of Bergamo (Italy) has been also described as a good example of training and knowledge acquirement in the field. Practical implications: The examples provided above show the importance of matching practical experience gained on the ground with theoretical approaches, enhancing the capabilities to recognise links among various systems as well as value different types of knowledge in a transdisciplinary fashion. Originality/value: The inevitable link between risk related issues and transdisciplinary approaches is discussed, indicating how a relatively new field of study may enter the academic arena, opening to new types of expertise and new forms of teaching. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 2 notes.)