The PhD programme in Philosophy, Science, Cognition and Semiotics (PSCS) aims to train researchers with a high level of specialisation in one of its three curricula, Philosophy and Science Studies, Semiotics, and Cognitive Science, while also fostering interdisciplinary dialogue skills and openness to different cultural traditions.
Research is carried out under the supervision of at least two supervisors (one member of the Academic Board and other experts, including international scholars) and is accompanied, from the first year onwards, by participation in the programme’s training activities. The training combines a shared interdisciplinary component, addressed to all PhD candidates, with a specialised component, defined in agreement with the supervisors on the basis of each candidate’s research interests.
The programme requires a period of research abroad (6 months) and encourages active participation in the international scientific community.
The PSCS PhD programme aims to provide advanced training in one of its three curricula, while at the same time developing candidates’ ability to engage in dialogue with experts from other disciplinary fields and with scholars from different cultural traditions.
In addition to the specific characteristics of the three curricula, the programme as a whole is enriched by cross-cutting knowledge. Among these, particular emphasis is placed on multidisciplinary competences of a predominantly theoretical nature in the field of global citizenship education, linked to the UNESCO Chair of the same name based in the Department of Philosophy. Cross-cutting lines of research include also formal ontology and computational philosophy, employing experimental research methods to investigate foundational theories of knowledge.