PhD Programs Affiliated with the Department

National Ph.D. Program in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The PhD program is designed to scientifically explore the themes of diversity, inequalities, and inclusion in various forms, recognizing their multiple aspects. For diversity to reach its potential, macro elements like regulatory frameworks and international, national, and regional economic policies, as well as micro elements like work practices in both private and public sectors, must provide the necessary conditions.

These conditions should ensure equal opportunities while promoting inclusion, allowing individuals to contribute to the improvement of the broader community. In designing the program, stakeholders from both the production sector and academia were consulted. The research topics and training activities co-designed for the program take into account not only scientific advancements but also the promotion of economic development and the production system in relevant fields, as defined by the curriculum’s tripartite structure.

The Faculty has planned a training and research pathway for PhD candidates aligned with the program's educational goals and the overall strategic planning of the involved universities. The proposed activities for the PhD candidates are consistent with the educational objectives and professional profiles expected upon completion, clearly distinguishing them from undergraduate and master's-level teaching. Specifically, the activities balance highly specialized topics with general themes to address educational gaps and ensure the necessary methodological preparation.

National Ph.D. Program in Digital Transformation- XL Cycle

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The PhD Program in Digital Transformation is designed to promote research on the processes that hinder or facilitate the adoption of enabling technologies across different contexts and services, with the aim of fostering the common good, safety in digital environments, health, quality of life, and both objective and perceived well-being among individuals, groups, and organizations. It is essential to develop advanced research and training paths to educate future researchers – true Digital Scientists (Digital Transformation - White Paper Engineering SpA, 2021) – capable of scientifically developing, validating, and measuring the application and adoption of ICT infrastructures in business and public administration contexts. This is aligned with the Digital Compass established by the European Union to achieve a true digital transition by 2030 (Europe’s Digital Decade, 2021).

The proposed PhD program embraces all four goals of the Digital Compass, but particularly focuses on developing “a digitally skilled population and highly qualified digital professionals.” Future researchers will serve as a bridge between the academic and industrial sectors, acting as active contributors to scientific development, in line with the investments and reforms outlined in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP, PNRR in Italian), which aims to position Italy among Europe’s leaders in digital transition by 2026. These professionals will be able to guide change through a scientifically grounded evaluation of processes and outcomes.

The Digital Scientist thus becomes the academic figure able to govern and coordinate the digital transition process at every level and across different sectors. The goal is to provide the new key competences necessary to successfully influence and lead change, granting PhD candidates direct access to cutting-edge research in fields such as Data Science, IoT, renewable energies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), biomedical engineering, blockchain, digital management, law, geoeconomics, intelligence, cybersecurity, digital humanities, and more.

The PhD program aims to train future researchers for both academic careers and fruitful collaboration with industry, so as to seize the opportunities enabled by new technologies that are shaping new cognitive, economic, and social paradigms, through systematic study and a high-level scientific profile.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The PhD Program in Digital Transformation has a twofold objective:

1. To analyze the contexts of technology implementation and user needs, in order to provide operational guidelines for the design and adoption of technologies.

2. To study the effects of technology implementation and use, identifying potential risks for health and well-being and/or new opportunities for designing, prototyping, and testing even more advanced solutions.

The PhD program supports the achievement of national objectives related to the five indicators that will enable Italy to become a leader in the Italia Digitale 2026 strategy (Italia Digitale 2026, 2021).

Special attention will be devoted to inclusivity issues – a cross-cutting theme of the NRRP (PNRR in Italian)– by addressing, from the early stages of research activities, the risks of digital divide (defined as the disparity in access to technologies and/or in the benefits gained through their use), particularly with respect to social class, sex and gender, ethnic and cultural background, and forms of disability. Equal importance will be given to legal aspects concerning data management and privacy protection, as well as to gender, equity, and well-being perspectives in relationships between individuals and within organizations.

Within the PhD program, candidates will acquire multidisciplinary skills across several domains:

• STEM fields, including engineering and computer science;

• human capital fields, promoting the acquisition of key methodologies for social, psychological, and educational research (both quantitative and qualitative);

• legal, economic, and management fields, particularly with reference to digital environments, intelligence, geoeconomics, and cybersecurity;

• digital humanities, with the aim of overcoming the traditional divide between technology and the humanities.

The doctoral path will focus on the acquisition of knowledge and mastery of the main theories related to the adoption and implementation of technologies, as well as their operational prescriptions; and on developing tools for orientative (not just evaluative) research into the development of technologies from a human-centered design perspective.

EXPECTED CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

At the end of the program, thanks to the wide range of offered curricula, graduates will be prepared for advanced careers in multiple fields:

• Health: Training experts with strong scientific skills in big data, analytics, data protection systems, information law, security, and network regulation applied to the health sector. Career opportunities include research positions in the development of healthcare technologies (e.g., in IRCCS, public/private institutions), consultancy roles in healthcare organizations, and positions in pharmaceutical and biomedical industries with responsibilities in quality management and project management.

• Education: Preparing experts capable of integrating technology into teaching, supporting learning, inclusion, assistive technologies, and subject-specific digital didactics. Skills include Educational AI (intelligent systems, social and educational robotics, machine learning, bots, personal digital assistants), and Gaming (video and serious games, exergames for rehabilitation and adaptation, e-sports, gamification, playful learning). Career paths include educational, training, and technology research in public/private institutions; product development in training companies, the creative industry, and edutainment; instructional design in industrial and educational contexts; academic and professional leadership roles as teachers, researchers, designers, evaluators of formal and informal learning environments, and decision-makers in educational technology adoption.

• Industry & Green Management: Developing expertise in coordinating and managing research and R&D activities, supporting large companies, SMEs, and public/private institutions in experimental and industrial research projects, and defining innovation strategies across the four dimensions of digital transformation: use of technologies, value creation changes, structural changes, and financial aspects (Matt et al., 2018).

• Human-Centered Technology & Well-being: Training professionals at the intersection of technology, design, psychology, and well-being, able to significantly improve quality of life through innovative, human-centered solutions. Career paths include scientific research, UX design, healthcare technologies, corporate wellness programs, and roles combining psychology and technology to enhance human-machine interaction and create technology experiences that support users’ mental and emotional well-being.

• Digital Management, Intelligence and Law: Preparing graduates for high-level roles in a variety of sectors, combining technical, analytical, and legal expertise to tackle the complex challenges of the digital era. Opportunities include academic research, strategic consultancy, security management, defense and intelligence, and leadership positions in innovation and technology development, as well as risk management in both public and private sectors.

• Digital Humanities: Offering opportunities in culture, research, education, creativity, and communication, where graduates can apply their skills to understand, preserve, and promote cultural heritage in digital contexts. Possible career paths include research, digital technology expertise in cultural institutions, data analysis, digital experience design, communication and digital strategy consulting, development of digital environments for interaction, cultural and digital policy advising, digital publishing, project management in digital humanities, and expertise in digital accessibility and inclusion.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All Master’s degrees are eligible.

ADMISSION PROCESS

Admission is through a public selection process based on a specific call for applications. The selection includes the evaluation of academic qualifications, the presentation of a research project, and an oral exam to assess knowledge of the English language.

DURATION

3 years

PhD Program in Digital Transformation – 39th Cycle

view the page for this cycle on Pegaso Website

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The PhD Program in Digital Transformation is designed to promote research on the processes that hinder or facilitate the adoption of enabling technologies in different contexts and services, with the aim of fostering the common good, health, quality of life, and both objective and perceived well-being among individuals, groups, and organizations.

It is necessary to develop advanced research and training paths to educate future researchers – true Digital Scientists (Digital Transformation - White Paper Engineering SpA, 2021) – capable of developing, validating, and measuring according to scientific criteria the application and adoption of ICT infrastructures in business and public administration contexts, in line with the Digital Compass established by the European Union to achieve a true digital transition by 2030 (Europe’s Digital Decade, 2021).

The proposed PhD program embraces all four goals of the Digital Compass, but in particular contributes to the training of “a digitally skilled population and highly qualified digital professionals.” Future researchers will serve as a bridge between the academic and industrial sectors, acting as active players in scientific development in line with the investments and reforms set out in the Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR, National Recovery and Resilience Plan), which aims to position Italy among Europe’s leaders in digital transition by 2026. They will be capable of guiding change with a perspective oriented toward the scientific evaluation of its processes and effects.

The Digital Scientist thus becomes the academic figure able to govern and coordinate the digital transition process at every level. The objective is to provide new key competences to successfully influence and guide change, granting PhD candidates direct access to cutting-edge research in fields such as Data Science, IoT, renewable energies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), biomedical engineering, blockchain, and more.

The PhD program aims to train future researchers for academic careers and for active, fruitful collaboration with industry, in order to seize the opportunities offered by new technologies that will enable new cognitive, economic, and social paradigms, through systematic study and a high-level scientific profile.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

In other words, the PhD Program in Digital Transformation has a twofold objective:

1. To analyze the contexts of technology implementation and user needs, in order to provide operational guidelines for the design and adoption of technologies.

2. To study the effects of technology implementation and use, identifying potential risks for health and well-being and/or new opportunities for designing, prototyping, and testing even more advanced solutions.

The PhD program supports the achievement of the national objectives related to the five indicators that will enable Italy to become a leader in the Italia Digitale 2026 strategy (Italia Digitale 2026, 2021).

Special attention will be devoted to inclusivity issues – a cross-cutting theme of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) – by addressing, from the early stages of research activities, the risks of digital divide (defined as disparities in access to technologies and/or the benefits derived from their use), particularly with respect to social class, sex and gender, ethnic and cultural background, and forms of disability. Equal importance will be given to legal aspects concerning data management and privacy protection, as well as to gender, equity, and well-being in relationships between individuals and within organizations.

Within the PhD Program in Digital Transformation, candidates will acquire multidisciplinary skills across several domains:

• STEM fields, including engineering and computer science;

• human capital fields, promoting the acquisition of key methodologies for social, psychological, and pedagogical research (both quantitative and qualitative);

The doctoral path will focus on acquiring knowledge and mastery of the main theories related to the adoption and implementation of technologies, as well as their operational prescriptions, and on developing tools for orientative (not just evaluative) research into the development of technologies from a human-centered design perspective.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

At the end of the program, graduates will benefit from a variety of career paths, thanks also to the diversity of offered curricula:

• Health: Training experts with advanced scientific skills in big data, analytics, data protection systems, information law, security, and network regulation applied to the health sector. Career opportunities include research positions in healthcare technology development in IRCCS and public/private institutions; consultancy roles in healthcare organizations; and positions in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries with responsibilities in production chain management, quality control, and project management.

• Education: Preparing experts capable of integrating technology into teaching, supporting learning, inclusion, assistive technologies, and subject-specific didactics. Skills include Educational AI (intelligent systems, social and educational robotics, machine learning, bots, personal digital assistants) and Gaming (video and serious games, exergames for rehabilitation and adaptation, e-sports, gamification, playful learning). Career paths include research in educational, training, and technological fields in public/private institutions; product development in training companies, the creative industry, and edutainment; instructional design in industrial and educational contexts; and leadership roles as teachers, researchers, designers, and evaluators of formal and informal learning environments.

• Industry & Green Management: Developing expertise in coordinating and managing R&D activities, supporting large companies.

The list of active agreements can be found at this link and in the dedicated section of this website