PhD Scholarships in Politics, Human Rights and Sustainability in Italy | Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna

In addition to the fellowships provided for in the call for admission, BV TECH S.p.A. funds a three-year fellowship within the framework of the Ph.D. in Politics, Human Rights and Sustainability – research area: International Law, Agricultural Law. The candidate shall focus his/her research project on the topic of “National Security, Defense and Cyber Warfare: Critical Infrastructures Protection from Cyber Threats in Italy and Its wide Strategic and Political Implications in the International Arena.”

The research should address the theme of the cyberspace as fifth dimension of conflict in the strategic dynamics of the international relations, with particular focus on the Italian national defense and security strategies. By taking in due account the initiatives promoted by other members of the International Community in the field of cyber-security, the research should examine the strategic implications generated by the policies and measures adopted by Italy in order to prevent, protect and respond to cyber attacks against national critical infrastructure. The study should also investigate the role played, or that might be played, by the private sector to countering cyber threats. The research should result in the definition of a set of recommendations aimed at designing and building an integrated and coherent Italian national cyber defence and security model.

The Ph.D. Programme in “Politics, human rights and sustainability” is a three-year residential programme characterized by an interdisciplinary approach to the subject and by the emphasis placed on current problems defining the protection and promotion of human rights. The Programme consists in the following curricula (Research Areas):

• International Law, Agricultural Law
• International, European, and Sub-national Political Economy
• Political Philosophy, Political Science (International Relations)

Within the framework of the Ph.D. programme mandatory attendance of lectures, research activities, possibilities for summer schools and periods abroad "coexist" in a harmonized and balanced way. Furthermore, through the established inter-library loan service initiative, students, once they have their supervisoràs signature, can order all the articles and books they need for their research--in case they are not available at the university"s library. The Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna provides three scholarships for non-EU citizens and four scholarships for Italian and EU ones. Additionally, students have all the meals for free at the university's canteen.

Non-EU candidates may submit applications in Italian or English. In case their mother tongue is not English they have to provide certain language certificates, but a language waiver might be considered in case they completed a substantial part of their study in English. The prospective students should have at least a MSc Degree or equivalent title.

The research proposal, which is part of the application package is very important. The selected topic should fall within the four general areas that were mentioned above. The structure of the proposal is comprised of: title of research, why it is important to undertake this research, short overview of the state of art of this issue, scientific premises, research objectives, methodologies that shall be used, brief timetable of activities that shall be undertaken during this three-year course of study and bibliography. There are no page limits, but in general the research proposals are made of around 3.000 words.

Last, in case you are not Italian, here is our friendly advice"once you receive the admission letter start studying Italian intensively. Although your research activities shall be in English, there will be many classes and trainings in Italian.