PhD in

Advanced-Systems Engineering

The purpose of this international PhD programme is to train a new generation of researchers able to carry out independent research in the areas of Advanced-Systems Engineering and give them the opportunity to transfer and exchange knowledge with national and international research centers and industries.

The three-year PhD programme focuses on the study and development of advanced and intelligent systems through an interdisciplinary approach that responds to recent technological developments (e.g. Cyber-Physical-Systems, Industry 4.0, Internet of Things) by integrating the disciplines of industrial mechanical engineering and information engineering. They are supported by specific skills in mathematics and artificial intelligence.

The research projects of PhD students will pertain to the following research areas, which are being developed by research groups on a long-term basis and constitute the core themes of this programme:

Mechanical-and-Manufacturing-Systems Engineering: Mechanical and Mechatronic Systems, Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Mechanical Engineering Design and Optimization, Production Systems and Management, Smart Factory;

Automation and Electronic-Systems Engineering: Autonomous systems, Human-in-the-loop systems, Embedded Systems (design, testing and reliability), Sensors systems, Robotic Systems, Automatic Control, Computer Vision and Image Processing, Intelligent Sensor/Actor Networks;

System Modelling and Evolution Dynamical System Modelling and Simulation, Complex Networks for System’s Evolution, Operations Research.

You might find a list of potential topics for the PhD thesis in the call at the bottom of the page.

At a Glance

Duration of the programme: 3 years
Courses will be taught in English
Places available: 8 with scholarship + 1 Industrial PhD position + 2 without scholarship
Campus: Bozen-Bolzano
Tuition fees: € 164.50 per year

Programme Structure

The PhD covers the research areas of Advanced-Systems Engineering and offers you a stimulating, multilingual environment with fellow researchers from a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Upon acceptance into the programme, you will be required to design a research project and write a study plan in collaboration with your supervisor, including the purpose of your project and the steps necessary to implement it. You will conduct a thorough literature survey, which includes a summary and analysis of the state-of-the-art of your research topic. Occasionally, you will be required to update the study plan in consideration of the progression of your work and the latest developments in your research field.

Your stay for at least three (and up to twelve) months at a foreign research center is mandatory. You will be required to publish at least one article in an international peer-reviewed journal and present your results at least at one international conference. During the three-year program, you will also be required to regularly attend classes and seminars, specifically designed for PhD students.

The stages of the PhD

The PhD research activities are organized into five phases:

Phase 1 (first 2 months): you shall identify your research topic and develop a study plan;
Phase 2 (2nd -6th month): After an exhaustive review of the literature concerning your subject area, you shall define your research programme based on the state of the art of your research topic;
Phase 3 (6th -12th month): you will start/continue your work applying the approach defined for your project;
Phase 4 (12th -24th month): you will continue your research, you will plan your stay abroad, and you will be expected to begin preparing the manuscript(s) for publication in peer-reviewed journals;
Phase 5 (24th-36th month): During the final stage you will complete your research project, the publication of your manuscript(s), and your dissertation.

Course Offering

Fieldwork abroad

During the three years of the PhD programme, you will be required to commit to your research project full-time. Your stay at a renowned foreign research center for at least 3 months  (up to 12) is compulsory. This will be an opportunity to diversify your study experience, by conducting research in highly stimulating and competitive contexts, exchanging ideas with other researchers, and, thereby, networking with international colleagues.