About the PhD Programme
An Interdisciplinary and International PhD programme to tackle the challenges of sustainable development in marginal and developing areas
The rapid, unchecked progress of science and technology can widen inequalities, exacerbate the fragmentation of social and natural environments, and accelerate resource depletion, for both human and non-human animals. Crucially, this is not only an issue felt in developing countries, but also in rural and mountainous areas in the very heart of Europe, of which our own Alpine and Apennine valleys represent a key example. The purpose of current and future Research & Development projects should therefore be to ensure the achievement of “well-being”, intended as the equitable access to a good quality of life.
Within this context, the PhD programme in "Sustainable development and cooperation" will implement a high-level international training and research network on “frontier sciences of sustainability". Developed on defined pillars, the programme includes the study of ecological, ethological, cultural, technological, and economic processes in different contexts, including developing areas, with a special focus on rural areas, small settlements, and “marginal” landscapes. We aim to align our proposal to the vision of an interconnected academic community within Europe and extend it to non-European partners, e.g. ACP (African Caribbean and Pacific) Countries, by developing an innovative cooperation framework.
A hands-on transdisciplinary approach, which promotes innovation, cooperation, and interdisciplinarity will be employed to provide students with the right tools to tackle some of the 17 developmental goals that have been identified as a World priority for the period 2020-2030 as the real-world challenges listed in the Agenda 2030.
The three key themes we will address are:
- Sustainable human-environment interactions
- Food security & sustainable food processing
- One health & sustainable socio-emotional development