PhD program in Civil, environmental and materials engineering
Technology

XL cycle - a.y. 2024/2025

Scientific areas

Admission requirements

Italian second cycle master's degree (Laurea Magistrale, under D.M. 270/04 or Laurea Specialistica, under D.M. 509/99) or Italian degree obtained prior to D.M. 509/99 (the previous Italian regulations) or Second cycle Master's degree obtained abroad and recognized as suitable for the admission to doctoral program.
More information available in the Call.

Description

Project Description

The course aims to train high-profile individuals with a solid multidisciplinary background in Civil, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, closely related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approved jointly by the European Commission (European Skills Agenda) and the United Nations (United Nations 2030 Agenda). The training provided to the PhD students will be broad, in-depth, and interdisciplinary because:
br> The PhD Faculty is composed of experts in Civil, Environmental, and Materials Engineering and is enriched by contributions from foundational subjects focused on materials science, offering a comprehensive range of knowledge that PhD students can acquire throughout their studies;
The approach of the PhD Faculty members to their respective disciplines ranges from analytical/numerical modeling to experimental activities, case studies, and educational laboratories, thus providing a variety of skills that can be easily transferred to the students' future professional careers;
Alongside hard skills, the course, in line with the European Skills Agenda, will emphasize the development of soft skills such as communication and relational abilities, teamwork, problem-solving, open-mindedness, and adaptability, through group work, project work, and laboratories.
Due to the training received, the PhD student will be able to demonstrate characteristics common to different cultural areas, such as innovation and originality in their tasks, supported by solid technical preparation and a marked aptitude for critical thinking. With these qualities, they can effectively contribute to the technical-scientific development of the community and the territory, with significant industrial, economic, and social impacts. The educational offerings are consistent with the needs of both public and private research and development sectors, for the drafting/publishing of technical/scientific works, project writing, and participation in competitive bids, generally promoting the development of a research attitude and international scientific cooperation. This is promoted through participation in international conferences and events and extended periods of training and research abroad through a wide network of international collaborations. The scientific contribution must be combined with the ability to interact with the industrial-economic sector, a skill that will be developed in all disciplinary areas of the PhD program, given the active presence of Faculty members in the local, regional, national, and international landscape.

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are aimed at:

Developing theoretical/modeling, technological, and design skills for the conception, design, project management, development, verification, testing, management, and decommissioning of buildings and soil protection works, structures, and infrastructures, and, in general, civil systems and facilities for the environment and the territory, in compliance with current regulatory requirements and through the use of modern and interoperable tools (BIM, CAD, FEM).
Developing innovative theories and methods for the study and modeling of pollution phenomena and the dynamics of pollutants in the environment and atmosphere, environmental impact analysis, health, eco-toxicological, and major accident risk assessment, design, management, and verification of treatment and recovery plants for water, wastewater, and sludge. Designing, synthesizing/producing, characterizing, and scaling up new materials for applications in various sectors (mechanical, ceramic, biomedical, aerospace, renewable energy, etc.).
It is important to emphasize the unity of the PhD proposal, in which the different paths are integrated into an interdisciplinary and interconnected innovation process always related to sustainability. The internal integration and unity of the proposal are based on previous collaborations among Faculty members from different sectors and are strengthened and consolidated over time through a conscious proposal of an integrated and homogeneous Training Project for all profiles. In particular, training activities are developed in the university's laboratories and completed through research periods at European/international research centers. An important role will be played by interaction with the business world, which will bring significant managerial, technological, and regulatory expertise. The unity of the proposal is developed through transversal and multidisciplinary topics such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), end-of-life management, remediation, and waste treatment from the production process.

From a methodological and pedagogical perspective, the results achieved by PhD students are codified based on the Dublin descriptors for the third-level training cycle, particularly regarding mastery of the research method, skills acquired in the design and implementation of the research process, originality and innovation level of the research carried out, ability in critical analysis and complex evaluations, communication skills necessary for sharing scientific results with the scientific community of the sector, and ability to promote research results in academic and professional contexts. Furthermore, candidate selection will pursue gender balance, respect for minorities, and protection of vulnerable groups through the preparation of a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in harmony with university and European directives (Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025).

Expected Employment and Professional Outcomes

The expected employment and professional outcomes are numerous and quantifiable in terms of the reference market. In the field of civil engineering, the natural job opportunities include professional activities, consulting and services, research and development (R&D), even in an employment context, for local authorities (municipal, provincial), economic organizations in the public and private sectors, in the areas of design, planning, defense, risk prevention and mitigation, reconstruction, monitoring and supervision, maintenance, and recovery of structures, works, structural and infrastructural projects, logistics, and services (utilities), in light of regulations concerning specific technical requirements and the supply, operation, and disposal cycle. The Green Building market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% over the next five years. Only the objectives of the European Green Deal (EGD) in the action "Renovating buildings for greener lifestyles" foresee the renovation of 35 million buildings in the EU by 2030, creating 160,000 jobs in the Green construction sector.

Employment opportunities for PhD graduates who have conducted research on environmental topics include all consulting, design, and process management activities at consulting firms, construction companies, public and private industries, agencies responsible for infrastructure and services, public entities (ARPAe, Regions, Municipalities, Civil Protection), as well as the possibility of continuing a career at universities and research institutions, even internationally. According to Eurostat estimates, jobs in the environmental economy increased from 2.8 to 4.5 million full-time equivalent (FTE) positions from 2000 to 2016. The research path focused on new materials will provide access to a wide variety of industrial sectors, research centers, and service organizations, due to the solid technical skills acquired in the context of understanding/managing complex projects within international networks. The global market for Green Building Materials is estimated to grow by 9.7% CAGR in 2022. In general, the European Commission foresees an approach to research on innovative materials that starts from sustainable use of raw materials and resources, fully in line with the training and research strategy that PhD students will learn in this course. Moreover, based on the EGD approach, the European Commission considers advanced materials as a fundamental pillar for the next decade, similarly to major companies and European research centers, which will increasingly require highly qualified professionals capable of managing complex problems like the PhD graduates from this course.

Duration

Three years (01/11/2024 - 31/10/2027)

Venue

The course venue is in Modena.

Announcement

» Call for admission and changes

» Selection committees

» Final ranking

Based on a rigorous selection process, applications are processed normally once a year. The admissions will be open in June or July 2024 (please refer to the Calls).

More documentation

How to apply for the PhD Programmes (pdf)

How to apply for the Italian National PhD Program in Religious Studies (pdf)

Please complete the application form and submit it electronically following the application guide. A non-returnable administrative fee of 25 € will be charged. The decision on admission as well as on financial support is published on the web.

PhD Certificates and Self-certifications

PhD original diploma (Parchment)

Contact office

For further information please contact:
PhD Office
via Università, 4 - 41121 Modena
e-mail: segr.dottorati@unimore.it
» Opening hours (italian only)