Objectives

The Doctorate provides the fundamentals for understanding natural systems with a multidisciplinary approach.

It aims to train high-profile specialists in the field of natural, earth and agricultural sciences, with strong skills in solving theoretical and practical problems with the scientific method: for this reason, it promotes the interchange between fundamental and applied research in dialogue with companies, thereby promoting the employment of PhD graduates in both professional and research systems.

Research Topics

The Doctorate develops strong competences on environmental sustainability. The Earth system, with its biotic and abiotic components, is seen in connection with human activities in the areas of natural and man-made resources and risk mitigation, energy transition, ecosystem services and the agri-food system. It prepares to address and seek solutions to the most important and current issues related to the environment: climate change and impacts on ecosystems; protection and sustainable use of natural resources; hydrogeological, seismic and volcanic risk mitigation; habitat management and human impact assessment; biodiversity conservation; behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology; conservation of cultural heritage; study of materials; geodynamics and evolution of the lithosphere; sustainable agriculture.

Rules and information

The Doctorate organises the training offer, dividing it into Transferable and Specialised Courses. The former deal with topics useful for the general training of PhD students, both of a theoretical and methodological nature (e.g. data analysis, scientific writing, project management, etc.). The PhD Board defines the number of credits – CFUs to be acquired for each component of the teaching programme (transferable, specialised). It also determines in which year a course is issued and its possible propedeutics.

The Doctorate provides and promotes research periods at Academic institutions, organizations or industrial research laboratories abroad, in order to promote cultural exchange and the creation or consolidation of lasting scientific collaborations between the research groups belonging to the Doctorate and research groups in foreign institutions.

How to acquire credits

During their career, PhD students must acquire European University Credits (ECTS) – “Crediti Formativi Universitari” (CFU).

1 CFU is equal to:

• 4 hours lesson
• 6 hours practice
• 8 hours field trip

Starting form 40° cycle and during the 3 years course, the PhD students must achieve a minimum of 32 CFUs (and at least 24 CFUs by the end of the second year):

• 20 CFUs attending courses designed for the acquisition of transferable skills (and at least 3 CFUs should be gained by attending Transferable courses organised by the Higher Education School of the University of Pavia – SAFD “corsi trasversali“)
• 10 CFUs attending Specialised courses (e.g. Summer/Winter schools internal/external)
• 2 CFUs conferences/congresses/seminars

In detail, the 2 CFUs for conferences/congresses/seminars would have the following characteristics:

• PhD day (organised by our Doctorate): organisers (1 CFU); participants (0.5 CFU)
• External: organiser (1 CFU); oral (0.5 CFU); passive/poster (0.25 CFU)

PhD students that are willing to attend courses not corresponding to those indicated in the Course List, must request an authorization from the PhD Coordinator, filling in the External Didactic Activities Authorization form and sending it by mail to phd-dsta@unipv.it

The CFUs will be recognised in accordance with the criteria defined by the PhD Board.