The PhD Program in Computer and Data Science for Technological and Social Innovation (CDS-TSI) is conceived to offer a training path of the highest level in the various sectors of Computer Science, with particular emphasis on Data Science applications. Thanks to a highly-qualified, multidisciplinary teaching board, a capillary network of national and international contacts, multi-year collaborations with industrial partners and companies and the participation in a large number of funded research projects, the PhD program in CDS-TSI will train highly-qualified professionals by relying on a plan aimed at offering solid technical competences and complementary soft skills.
The training offer covers both theoretical and practical aspects concerning (i) fundamental computer science technologies and methods and (ii) state-of-the-art and emerging application domains, promoting the transversal synergies between scientific and social disciplines. Among the fundamental computer science technologies we highlight distributed parallel systems (high-performance embedded systems and High-Performance Computing; Internet of Things and edge-fog-cloud computing, complex systems modeling); scalable Data Analytics (algorithms and techniques for big data analysis and management); Cybersecurity. The relevant application domains are numerous and strongly rooted in the digital transformation in social areas (recommendation systems, sharing economy, social contagion and viral marketing, human-machine interaction, business ethics, natural language modeling, business analytics, digital preparedness) and technological areas (Industry 4.0, Autonomic computing for collective self-adaptive systems, Autonomous Systems and Connected Shared Mobility, clinical medicine).
The training offer, updated yearly and advertised on the course webpage, combines specialistic classes and seminars, summer schools and the involvement in research activities aimed at producing scientific publications, the participation in international conferences (to present the research outcomes) and internships in third-party institutions abroad for a minimum period of 4 months. Such internships will allow the PhD students to consolidate their knowledge and improve their research methodology as well as to create a personal network of contacts that will accompany them in their post-doctoral careers.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of the PhD program in CDS-TSI is to train highly-specialized professionals in the various areas of computer and data science, including their applications to different contexts. This will lead to a diversification of the specific profile that each student can build during the course of the three years of the doctoral program, ranging from experts on the foundational aspects or on enabling technologies of computer and data science (e.g., optimization of complex algorithms, scalable software solutions, to name a few) to specialists capable of applying and creating synergies with real application contexts (e.g., the analysis of large amounts of data in the economic, medical or scientific field, the use of advanced techniques in contexts like the Internet of Things or Cybersecurity).
The PhD candidates are guided by Professors and Researchers expert in the various areas of the PhD program in CDS-TSI, and whom will bring the future PhDs to learn the scientific method applied to innovative research, by means of a path that involves an introduction to the research world, the collaboration with national and international companies and research institutions and the development of a personalized research plan. The research results will be published and presented in international research venues, which will allow the candidate to present its own research to the scientific community, stimulating a dialogue that will bring them to a professional and personal growth.
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
The proposed research program promotes application aspects of research, while at the same time providing strong methodological and scientific background. At the end of the PhD program, the solid expertise derived from this organization will allow the candidate to autonomously carry out his/her own research activity, to produce original and relevant research results and to contribute to the international research community.
On the other hand, the strong interdisciplinary nature of the proposed PhD program, as well as the emphasis on the technological transfer to industrial partners and companies operating in the social sector, will provide the future PhD with a number of different professional opportunities, among which we cite:
a) the already mentioned academic career (in Italy or abroad) or the scientific career in public/private research institutions;
b) the inclusion, as experts, in the areas of development of research programs of the European Union (EU) of for public/private institutions;
c) a career as managers in companies operating in the computer science or computer engineering domain, in public or private institutions. The direction of service companies, professional consulting;
d) a career as teachers/directors in the high school.