“INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MEDITERRANEAN SEA FISHERY AND BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES” (FishMed-PhD)
A major focus of interest of this PhD programme will be set on Mediterranean fisheries and biological resource, both in terms of understanding the impact that fishing pressure can have on ecosystems, but also how commercial fisheries are interconnected with the surrounding marine environment and are themselves impacted by other drivers of change (e.g., climate change, non-native species), and the social and economic consequences for associated marine sectors and human society.
FishMed-PhD will train a new generation of managers, not only on innovative Technologies, the biology of the harvested species and blue biotechnologies, but also on the importance of limiting the anthropic impacts while maintaining the economic performances. Students will carry out interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art research and complement their training through specialized courses. The students will also learn to implement environmental awareness and to deliver scientific knowledge to policy makers, and the general public.
This international PhD programme is a major step forward in high-profile training, placing Italy at the center of the Mediterranean basin and in particular in the Adriatic-Ionian Macro- region (EUSAIR).
FishMed-PhD programme is international. Its Academic Board will include at least 25% of professors and recognized experts in the field of fisheries, ichthyology, food web dynamics, modeling and simulation of biological systems, from different international institutions: Bar-Ilan University (Israel), Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (Croatia), University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands), University of Burgundy (France), the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (Spain), the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece). The selection process will consider broad candidate expertise, including technical/scientific experience, scientific publications, participation in scientific meetings, university courses/grades, and reference letters. Fellowships will be widely advertised. High-profile young graduates will be selected through network boosting employability in the Mediterranean region. In addition to Euraxess, open positions will be published on specific websites enhancing the development of employability in southern Mediterranean countries (e.g., RESUME - the Mediterranean Network for Employability, HOMERe - High Opportunity for Mediterranean Executives Recruitment). FishMed-PhD program envisages a mandatory abroad research period of at least three months, to broaden the student’s knowledge of the existing realities and ways of managing marine biological resources.