Training activities 40th Cycle

Course cycles

Courses are organised into thematic areas, each comprising multiple courses delivered throughout the duration of the PhD programme.

Below is a list of thematic areas with their descriptions and main characteristics. 

The detailed schedule for individual lessons within each area is available in the annexes to the doctoral teaching calendar.

Other training activities

Seminars, laboratory work and research activities, and interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary training.  

Language proficiency training

• Academic English Skills - basic level
  First year of the programme, 50 hours.
  The course consists of two 2-hour sessions per week over 13 weeks taught by native-speaker teachers. Passing the final test entitles students to a certificate of attendance and direct enrolment in the advanced course.

Research management and knowledge of European and international research systems

Project design for research in social sciences and humanities (course taught in English) 
The overall aim of this seminar series is to provide PhD students with the knowledge and tools needed to draft competitive research proposals for funding current and future research activities. The specific objectives are twofold: firstly, to provide a conceptual framework for project development and planning tools adaptable to various contexts or donors; secondly, to present an overview of potential research funding sources, with particular reference to EU institutions and opportunities offered by the European Research Council (ERC).

• In the first session, information will be provided on how to read and analyse calls (from policy to proposals), the concept of “project cycle,” and how to prepare a competitive proposal using technical tools adaptable to different calls (e.g. logical framework, GANTT). The session will also include group work.
• In the second session, students will be taught how to navigate European project management and will learn about the main funding tools and how they can support their research career.
• At the end of the two sessions, students will be invited to a third session in which DBC teachers will share their success stories with European project management.

PhD students are expected to actively take part in the course.

Enhancement and dissemination of results, intellectual property and open access to research data and outputs

The Collegio organises internal seminars and encourages the participation of PhD students in external seminars organised by other departments and University Divisions, such as ARIC, ARIN, and the University Library Services, on aspects particularly relevant to dissemination, open access (OA), and research outputs.

Seminars

• Winter/Summer school (third year).
  An advanced-level Summer/Winter School is intended to complete and enhance each PhD student's training within their specific disciplinary field, as an alternative to equivalent activities carried out during the three-year period, such as international mobility or specialised company internships, etc.
• Corrado Ricci Chair
  For the 2023-24 academic year, the annual transdisciplinary seminar series (10 hours) will continue, led by a distinguished scholar. After Salvatore Settis and Carlo Ginzburg, this year’s guest will be Piero Boitani, recipient of the 2016 Balzan Prize for Comparative Literature.
• Seminar series on topics related to cultural and environmental heritage, in their various multi- and interdisciplinary approaches, are organised by the DBC research fellows and other participating departments.

Laboratory activities

• Practical sessions involving the use of software for life cycle assessment (LCA), and the following equipment for chemical analysis: Bruker Artax X-ray fluorescence analyser (XRF); Spequim IQ VIS multispectral camera; colorimeter; Thermo Scientific Nicolet iN10MX Fourier-transform infrared microscope; Thermo Scientific Raman microscope; Leica MZ6 stereomicroscope; Olympus BX51M optical microscope (reflected light, fluorescence analysis) with objectives (5x, 10x, 20x, 50x, 100x); Thermo Nicolet NICOLET 5700 FT-IR benchtop infrared spectrophotometer, with accessories; Thermo Nicolet AVATAR 370 FT-IR benchtop infrared spectrophotometer, with accessories; Agilent Technologies Cary 630 FT-IR portable infrared spectrophotometer, with accessories.
• Practical sessions involving the use of advanced geomatics equipment: total stations, digital levels, geodetic GNSS instruments, RGB and multispectral cameras, laser scanners, triangulation and structured-light projection scanners, mobile scanners, aerial photogrammetry scanners, drones, spectroradiometer, and specialised acquisition systems for cultural heritage applications.
• Practical sessions held in the laboratories of the Environment, Energy and Sea Research Centre at the Ravenna Technopole, located in Marina di Ravenna, which offer the following equipment: ion exchange chromatography; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS); high-performance microwave digestion system; elemental analysis with CHNS/O; UV-visible spectrophotometry; thermogravimetric analysis; thermo-catalytic pyrolyser (capacity: 2 kg/h); water filtration system (volume: 80 litres).

Fundamental principles of ethics, gender equality and integrity

The Collegio promotes and encourages the participation of PhD students in seminars organised by the Department of Cultural Heritage (DBC), the associated departments, and various components of university governance and university divisions, such as ARIC, ARIN, and others.