PhD in Experimental Research Through Design, Art and Technologies
Bolzano, Italy
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
29 Apr 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
01 Nov 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 200 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* 200 € for the first academic year
Introduction
The three-year programme brings together professors from different faculties of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Design and Art, Engineering, Education and Economics and Management) and nationally and internationally renowned professors to propose a research model based on dialogue and collaboration across disciplines.
The programme provides a space for speculative, critical and pragmatic reflection on problems, potential solutions and new conceptual perspectives inspired by design culture and artistic production. It integrates complex design, scientific and social knowledge and requires the establishment of collaborative relationships with human, non-human and more than human actors through intercultural methods, learning from others, embracing cultural relativism and experimenting with new research tools and practices.
The PhD addresses multiple global challenges by inviting PhD candidates to investigate environmental, social, political and cultural issues through inter/transdisciplinary research and the development of alternative, experimental, critical and exploratory models to generate new knowledge, promote eco-social transformation, social and environmental justice, sustainability, diversity, question the potentials and limitations of technological developments and implementations through the intercultural approach of design and art.
Design and art practices can respond to the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, data-driven technologies, and human-computer interaction through a shared reflection on social models and cultural practices in the light of ethical, inclusive, culturally sensitive and sustainable principles.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Doctoral students projects can focus on the following topics and research areas based on Design, Art, Information Engineering, Economic-Social Sciences, and Education:
- Critical re-definition of technology in the expanded field of contemporary culture
- Art and design production in the post-digital era
- Post-humanism in art and design
- Multispecies ethnography in design, art and technologies
- Socio-cultural anthropology for design, art and technologies
- Education in art and cultural heritage through digital technologies
- Intelligent technologies, society and education
- Design for Cultural / Intangible / Landscape Heritage
- Phygital (physical and digital) design and Interaction
- Design, fabrication and characterization of smart materials and electronic components
- Interaction design and smart materials
- Future of Interaction design and transmedia communication
- Critical and Sustainable Human-Computer Interaction
- Democratization of technology
- Diversity and social justice in/with technologies
- Multi-disciplinary methodologies for territories and policy making
- Design for gender equity and inclusion
- Circular Economy and Bio-Based Material Cycles
- Sustainable DIY Materials and Practices
- Biodesign with Microorganisms and Living Systems
These topics refer both to established interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research projects, and to the profiles of individual members of the Scientific Committee.
The stages of the PhD
In the first year, in addition to acquiring knowledge of human-centred, design- and art-driven research methods, students will be involved in seminar activities to understand academic research, including ethical, gender and privacy issues, as well as bibliometric and non-bibliometric evaluation systems. An essential aspect of the training activity will be the acquisition of technical-operational skills through laboratory and field research, in a practical and hands-on learning approach, in addition to basic theoretical knowledge.
From the second year, students will spend a period abroad (minimum 3 months up to a maximum of 12 months) at another university and/or research laboratory, company, or cultural institution, and will participate in/co-organise transdisciplinary research workshops.
The third year is dedicated to finalising the research project, design and artistic activities, prototypes in the case of practical and technological projects, or the theoretical-critical framework in the case of more speculative projects, as well as writing the thesis and completing dissemination activities.
At the end of each year, the students must present their activities, projects and results to the Scientific Committee, which examines and evaluates the individual work, makes recommendations and approves progression to the following year.
Program Outcome
PhD candidates are required to:
- Develop and implement an individual research plan over the three years under the supervision of a supervisor and co-supervisor
- Present the results of their research at one or more international conferences as an oral or poster presentation. These results must be published as conference proceedings, an article or an essay
- Carry out research activities abroad for at least three months
- Attend compulsory courses, seminars and/or summer/winter/spring schools and practice-based transdisciplinary workshops that broaden their knowledge and improve their skills on topics related to the doctoral thesis.