International PhD in

Food Engineering and Biotechnology

The purpose of this International PhD programme is to train a new generation of globally renowned researchers to apply approaches of engineering and biotechnology to food processing by giving them the opportunities to transfer and exchange knowledge with national and international research centers and industries.

The three-year program mainly focuses on research concerning primary food production, set-up, and management, as well as the validation of food processes, and the application of omics techniques to condition and characterize food processing and food products, with a particular emphasis on fermented foods. The main features of the PhD are an interdisciplinary scientific approach and the participation of internationally renowned scientists on the Scientific Committee.

If you have excelled in higher education, this PhD will enable you to continue your career in academia in a stimulating, multilingual environment with fellow researchers from a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. During the course, you will gain the competences required to carry out innovative and methodologically rigorous and advanced research projects. For this purpose, you will be required to design an original research project under the supervision of an Italian and/or foreign lecturer, to spend at least six months at a renowned foreign research center and, concurrently, to develop the ability to work both independently and in a team.

This International PhD opens up several career opportunities. Once you obtain your doctorate, you will be able to continue your research activities in academia, in public or private research centers, in leading food industries, or as a business consultant within the specific research areas of the program.

At a glance

Duration of the programme: 3 years
Courses will be taught in English
Places available: 10 with scholarship
Campus: Bozen-Bolzano

Programme Structure

The PhD covers the research areas of Food Processing as one of the focuses of the faculty. Engineering and Biotechnology are the high throughput approaches to food processing science. Upon acceptance into the program after a public selection procedure, you will be required to design a research project and write a prospectus with your supervisor, including the purpose of your project and the steps necessary to implement it. Occasionally, you will be required to update the steps in consideration of the progression of your work and the latest developments in your research field. Your stay for at least three months at a foreign research center is mandatory and you will be required to publish or submit for publication at least three articles in international peer-reviewed journals. 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 programme consists of five stages, which end after 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively.

During STAGE 1, you will define your research plan, also preparing a draft of the prospectus.
During STAGE 2, you will define your research project in more detail based on the pertinent literature.
During STAGE 3, you will start your work in the lab applying the approach defined for your project.
During STAGE 4, you will continue your research, you will plan your stay abroad, and you will be expected to begin preparing manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
During the final stage - STAGE 5 - you will complete your research project, the publication of your manuscripts, 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 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.

People

PhD Programme Coordinator: Prof. Stefano Cesco
Student Representative in the Lecturer's Committee: Parham Joolaei Ahranjani

Studying at unibz

Living in South Tyrol, Housing, Scholarships and more

Coming to unibz from Abroad

Application procedure, Visa, Residence permit and more

Application and Admission

You can find key information to apply and gain admission to this PhD Programme. Detailed information will be available from 7 May 2025 at this page in the general and specific calls.

In order to gain admission to the PhD programme, you will have to demonstrate competence in the languages of the PhD programme with a recognised language certificate and be successful in a public competition.

2nd Call

Publication of the call: 07/05/2025
Application deadline: by 11/06/2025 (by noon local time)
Admission interviews (online): by 30/06/2025 (via MS Teams)
Publication of ranking lists: by 11/07/2025

Confirmation of the PhD position - 2nd Call

Applicants with scholarship: by 24/07/2025 (by noon local time)
Applicants without scholarship: by 07/08/2025 (by noon local time)
Enrolment: Starting from 25/07/2025 until 31/10/2025

In order to apply to this programme you need one of the following qualifications:

a postgraduate degree as per Italian Ministerial Decree no. 509/1999
a postgraduate degree as per Italian Ministerial Decree no. 270/2004
a degree of the former Italian university system, or an equivalent degree obtained abroad (university level education of at least five years).

If you have not yet achieved one of the above mentioned titles within the enrolment deadline, you will be admitted conditionally to the selection procedure and you must produce the degree certificate within the enrolment’s deadline. If not, your application is considered null and void.

Prerequisites for admission to the doctoral programmes are an appropriate educational and/or cultural background and/or experience in the research. Qualifications in the field of interest of the PhD programme are preferred.

The Commission reserves the right to decide and to assess whether or not previous qualifications are suitable for admission purposes.

To confirm your study place, you need to log in to the application portal and pay the following fees (€ 250 in total) using one of the payment methods indicated on the portal by the specified deadline.

Administrative fees: € 50
One-off registration fee: € 200, including a € 16 revenue stamp

If you fail to meet this deadline, you will automatically lose your place. Once you have confirmed your place by paying the instalment, there is no refund of tuition fees unless you are a non-EU applicant living abroad and you have not received the necessary documents from the Italian authorities in your country.

There are no other fees to be paid.