PhD programme [Open to all Nationalities] in Food and agricultural science, technology and biotechnology XXXIX cycle – a.y. 2023/2024; 8 position available – 8 scholarships:
ADMISSION APPLICATIONS: Applications for admission to competitions and any required enclosures must be submitted following the online procedure by the final deadline of July 27, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. (Italian time), when the competition closes. Candidates failing to comply will not be considered.
SELECTION PROCEDURE: The selection procedure and schedule of examinations, where applicable, are indicated in art.17, in the sections relating to each PhD Program. The selection procedure can be based on academic and research record or on academic and research record and interview or on academic and research record, written test and interview. Candidates will be admitted to Programs according to their positioning on the merit list until all available places have been allocated for each PhD Program.
Scientific areas:
AGR/02 (Agronomy and Field Crops),
AGR/03 (Arboriculture and Fruitculture),
AGR/11 (General and Applied Entomology),
AGR/12 (Plant Pathology),
AGR/15 (Food Science and Technology),
AGR/16 (Agricultural Microbiology),
AGR/19 (Animal Science),
BIO/04 (Plant Physiology),
BIO/10 (Biochemistry),
BIO/19 (General Microbiology),
CHIM/01 (Analytical Chemistry),
CHIM/03 (General and Inorganic Chemistry),
CHIM/06 (Organic Chemistry),
CHIM/08 (Pharmaceutical Chemistry),
CHIM/10 (Food Chemistry),
CHIM/11 (Chemistry and Biotechnology of Fermentation),
MED/42 (Hygiene and Public Health)
Admission requirements: Italian second level degree (laurea specialistica, under D.M. 509/99 or laurea magistrale, under D.M. 207/04) or Italian degree obtained prior to D.M. 13 509/99 or equivalent qualification obtained abroad.
Description The research topics of the PhD course are focused on agriculture and food. As for agriculture, the scientific topics include the various sectors of plant and animal production, with particular attention to the techniques of cultivation, of breeding, of diseases and pest management, paying utmost attention to the environment, to the consumer, to the needs of the agri-food industry, to the biological properties of active ingredients and to product quality.
Molecular genetics, a powerful innovative means for the selection of varieties able to respond to these needs, completes the skills. In the food sector, research is focused on process and product innovation, through the integrated use of food technologies, microbiology, biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, univariate and multivariate techniques for product and process monitoring and optimization, quality assessment of raw materials and evaluation of their attitude to transformation, innovative technologies in food packaging, as well as aspects of human nutrition, also concerning the role of the gut microbiota and its impact on health.
Educational goals: The PhD program aims to provide PhD students with advanced training in the fields of production, processing, quality control and safety of raw materials and of foods. The teaching activity facilitates the transfer of knowledge; in particular, the course includes teaching and research training activities, with a three-year training course for a total commitment estimated at 180 University credits (Crediti Formativi Universitari, CFU).
The course includes research activities in advanced topics of the sector, seminars, participation to monographic courses and to scientific conferences, advanced teaching courses, as well as internships in the PhD course laboratories and in other laboratories in Italy and abroad. The CFU dedicated to lectures are 30, while the remaining 150 CFU include the research activity carried out for the preparation and drafting of the thesis.
The number of courses is higher than the number of required credits, in order to allow each student to follow the courses most relevant to the topics of interest. The high profile of the Tutors, their consolidated collaborations with national and foreign research bodies and the availability of adequate funds guarantees the quality of the PhD students training.
Employment opportunities: Agriculture and food industry play a primary role in the economic and productive sectors. Even during the pandemic crisis, agriculture and food industry proved to be among the most resilient economic sectors. In the 2019-2020 period, the Italian agri-food system was one of the cornerstones of the national economy; considering all its components (agriculture, agro-industry, catering, large-scale distribution etc.) it contributed to over 15% of the Italian GDP.
More recently, despite the general crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine, the turnover index of the agri-food industry in the fourth quarter of 2022 grew compared to the same period of 2021 both on the foreign and domestic markets.
The fundamental contribution of to the image of Made in Italy, thanks to the exceptional variety of products and to their quality, also allowed the increase of youth entrepreneurship. Therefore, also due to the essential nature of the agri-food sector, the demand for figures with a high level of professionalism in the fields of agricultural production, of food processing and of food control and safety to date it is still huge, despite the current pandemic crisis.
In this context, the Course trains PhD students with high skills in the various scientific fields related to the agri-food sector, creating figures suitable for carrying out the role of researchers in the universities, in public or private bodies and in industry.
The profile of the PhDs in “Food and agricultural science, technology and biotechnology” will therefore be that of a researcher with a high ability to face problems and to autonomously manage research projects.
Duration: Three years (01/11/2023 – 31/10/2026) Venue: The course venue is in Reggio Emilia.
More documentation:
Please complete the application form and submit it electronically following the application guide.
Attachments: Short guide – How to apply
Go to www.esse3.unimore.it and Switch to English language (“eng”) and click “Registration” on the right menu. Click and fill in the forms with the requested information.
Admission: Expiration date 27/07/2023 at 13:00: Call for admission
For further information please contact: via Università, 4 – 41121 Modena e-mail: segr.dottorati@unimore.it