Having considered and without prejudice to the University Ph.D. Programs Regulation (https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/documents/Regolamento.pdf), this internal regulation provides specifications relating to the activities of Ph.D. students enrolled in the Doctoral Program in Clinical and Experimental Immunology, as regards some practical aspects concerning the cursus studiorum and required procedures that are not addressed or regulated by the aforementioned University Regulations.
Research rules and duties
The Ph.D. Program in Clinical and Experimental Immunology is a Higher Education course that allows graduates in Medical-Pharmaceutical, Biological and Biotechnological Disciplines to acquire the skills to plan a research project on experimental and clinical immunology topics, and to bring it to its conclusion within the three years, achieving as faithfully as possible, the results set at the beginning of the Program.
During the three-year Program, the Ph.D. Student must achieve independence and organize his/her research activity in an effective and productive way. The Ph.D. Student is assigned to a Supervisor (or group of Supervisors), a faculty member, identified among the members of the Committee. The Supervisor is in charge of the Ph.D. Student and responds for his/her attendance and activity in his/her laboratory.
Within the Program duration the Supervisor, prior approval of the Committee, may offer to the Ph.D. Student the opportunity to perform his/her research activity at guest laboratories in Italy or abroad (Europe or beyond) for a maximum period of 18 months over the entire Program duration (three years) in order to refine or expand some aspects of his/her research project. Following a research stay abroad of at least three (3) months the Student will obtain his/her Ph.D. title with an additional label depending on where the research stay was carried out, Europe or beyond: Ph.D. “Doctor Europaeus” or “International Doctorate” –European/International PhD Label.
The Committee supports the Supervisor in highlighting the positive aspects of the Ph.D. Student’s research project and any critical issues and may as well suggest alternative approaches, or changes and variations.
Annual and final exams
At the end of each year, and before enrolment in the next year, Students have to submit a progress report (usually in October). The progress report serves to check the progress made during each year of the doctoral studies and to document necessary changes to the agreed research project.
The progress report, drawn in English, must be accompanied by a short power point which will be displayed to the Committee for its approval during the exam session.
In addition to the results achieved, the progress report should also specify:
- any existing collaborations and publications in which the Ph.D. Student has participated
- attended courses, congresses and/or seminars
- any other activities carried out by the Ph.D. Student and related to the project, including participation in congresses/seminars as a speaker for the dissemination of results related to the project, and research activities at guest laboratories in Italy or abroad
- participation in other related research projects
At the end of September of year 1 and year 2 of the PhD Program Course, each PhD student will have to fill in the electronic booklet which must then be countersigned by the respective Supervisor(s) and the PhD Coordinator.
Moreover, at the end of year 1 and year 2 of the Program Course, each Ph.D. Student will present his/her research work (power point progress report) to the Committee in a specific session with a speech of about 10-15 minutes followed by 10-15 minutes for the Committee to ask questions. The Committee will then deliberate.
Ph.D. Students enrolled in year 3 of the Program Course have to submit the draft of their final thesis for the purpose of admission to evaluation by external reviewers, and the report of the activities performed during the three years of PhD Course.
The final exam, at the end of the 3 years, involves the preparation of the thesis in English, accompanied by scientific publications as well as a summary report on the activity carried out and the list of training courses attended and related coursework credits.
In the final evaluation, the Committee will take into particular consideration the Ph.D. Student's ability to have played a prominent role (first/last/corresponding author) in at least one publication in an international scientific journal (even if in press).
External evaluators are defined as a series of highly qualified faculty members, also belonging to foreign institutions, indicated by the Committee.
In the case of a Doctoral Title accompanied by the “European / International PhD Label”, the external evaluators must be at least two faculty members from two different foreign universities (European or third country).
The Evaluators express a written analytical judgment on the thesis and propose its admission to public discussion or, if they consider significant additions or corrections necessary, postponement for a period not exceeding six months. After this period, the thesis is admitted to public discussion, accompanied by a new written opinion of the same evaluators, made in the light of any corrections or additions made.
The evaluators judgment is followed by Committee deliberation for admission to the final exam and these defence. The public discussion of the thesis takes place in English before a Commission appointed by the Rector, on the proposal of the Committee.
Each Commission is made up of at least three faculty members and two substitutes chosen from among faculty members specifically qualified in the disciplines related to the scientific areas to which the course refers.
In the case of a Doctoral Title accompanied by the additional certification of "European / International Ph.D. Label", at least one member of the Commission must belong to an University or Research Institution of a different European Union/Third Country from the one in which the thesis will be discussed.
Reference sites for documents, deadlines and various notices: https://unige.it/dottorati-di-ricerca
Ph.D. Students can find for example the following form:
How to apply for the final exam
Extension of the Ph.D. course for preparation of doctoral thesis
Graduate Course work and research
Doctoral training offer consists of:
- courses organized by faculty members and Supervisors of the Committee
- courses borrowed from other Ph.D. Programs in subjects relevant to the scientific areas to which the course refers
- seminars and/or congresses on topics related to the Program
Ph.D. Students must satisfactorily complete a training program of study which includes at least 180 credits (CFU) in three years (not necessarily 60 CFU per year).
The detailed information on the PhD training program and the acquisition of credits can be consulted on the PhD Course page of this website.
The Supervisors and the Coordinator will supervise the courses chosen by the Ph.D. Students, suggesting the courses/congresses/seminars which best fit their preparation and ensuring an adequate distribution of training events among the different types available.