Addressing risks with technical and scientific skills to promote sustainable development: this is the principle guiding the Risk, Climate Change and Sustainable Development curriculum within the Security, Risk and Vulnerability PhD program at the University of Genoa. The call for applications for the XL cycle is now open. Participatory approaches, climate change risk management, and international cooperation are just some of the many topics explored in this curriculum.
These topics are of urgent relevance, especially as the impacts of the climate crisis become increasingly evident. It is more important than ever to train scientists today who can competently address these issues in the future. For this reason, CIMA Research Foundation co-finances 6 scholarships, providing its expertise and operational and scientific facilities. The projects involve some of the main fields in which CIMA Research Foundation has been active since its inception, as well as emerging areas. For example, projects are dedicated to machine learning technologies for drought characterization and seasonal forecasting, and the integration of remote sensing data for risk assessment. Additionally, they address the socio-legal impacts of climate change, such as conflicts over water resource management, a topic on which we have recently begun publishing our studies, and risk communication in climate change strategies.
Moreover, the study of snow as a fundamental water reserve cannot be overlooked: in a climate crisis context where precipitation patterns are altered, and droughts become more frequent and severe, CIMA Research Foundation conducts monitoring and analysis of the amount of snow that accumulates in the Italian mountains during winter.
Also noteworthy is a scholarship within the Management and Security curriculum (part of the Security, Risk and Vulnerability program) dedicated to digital transition, specifically focusing on the dynamic interaction between digital technology, organizational change, and work transformation, with a focus on the concept of security.
In short, various paths intertwine on the common thread of challenges posed by climate risks, addressed from a multidisciplinary perspective that understands their different aspects and how they influence each other. Another key element in effectively tackling these challenges is cooperation: the curriculum also offers the possibility of networking with foreign universities to obtain a joint (or double/multiple) PhD degree.
Applications for the PhD call are open until July 9, 2024, at 12:00. Here, all the information for participation is available.
Here is the official page of the Security, Risk and Vulnerability PhD program at the University of Genoa, and at this link, the topics of the available scholarships within the Risk, Climate Change and Sustainable Development curriculum.