PhD in Economics, Analytics and Decision Sciences

2022/23  Economics, Analytics and Decision Science PhD Program at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca

The 2022 call for Applications for the Economics, Analytics and Decision Science PhD Program is now closed.

The next call for this PhD Program is expected to open in Spring 2023 and the start of the Program will be in November 2023.

Deadline for 2022 applications was June 30th, 2022, 12 pm CEST

Applications are now being accepted for the 2022/23 PhD Programs at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca (www.imtlucca.it), one of the six Schools of Excellence in Italy and one of the highest rated graduate schools in Europe according to the most recent U-Multirank survey.

Highly motivated candidates from all disciplines are invited to apply for one of the fully-funded scholarships within three doctoral Programs that integrate scientific competences of economics, engineering, computer science, neuroscience and behavioral psychology, physics, applied mathematics, statistics, history and sciences of cultural heritage.

The Doctoral Program in  Economics, Analytics and Decision Sciences  is based on the development of skills that underlie the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the phenomena observed in economic and social systems. The Program aims at providing participants with a solid knowledge of modern analytical methods, following a multidisciplinary approach. The Program develops a strong integration of concepts, analytical methods and practical skills, to train the new generation of economists, social scientists, managers and professionals with specific competences in the analysis, interpretation and management of the complexity of economic, firm, and social systems.

Students are trained to become researchers and decision-makers in academia, politics, administration and business, through the integration of knowledge that lies at the borders between economics, management and the other social sciences, while maintaining the unifying language of mathematics and statistics and borrowing the tools necessary for specific applications from computer science and psychology.

The close connection with a selected group of companies and institutions offers the opportunity to adopt new perspectives of analysis and interpretation of phenomena through the use of innovative quantitative and qualitative research methodologies for solving the problems of the real economy and society. Students are therefore involved in the collection and analysis of high-dimensional real-world data.

The Program is characterized by the interdisciplinary nature of its approach. The obstacles that traditionally divide the different domains of knowledge are overcome by addressing the problems that arise in the various application fields - industrial, institutional, health, environmental, technological, social, ethical, etc. - through a variety of scientific methodologies derived from probability theory, theory of the firm, mathematical statistics, econometrics, machine learning, experimental methods, cognitive science, computer science and computational methods.

Students also have the opportunity of completing their research projects under the joint supervision (double-degree) with partner universities, including KU Leuven and the University of Alicante. All students are encouraged to spend periods abroad, both within the Erasmus+ framework and through ad-hoc mobility agreements, taking advantage of strong ties with selected companies and international institutions.

Input and output profiles

The EADS program welcomes candidates with training in one of the following subject areas: economics, management, statistics, law, physics, computer science, engineering, logic and philosophy of science, mathematics, cognitive and behavioral sciences, or in contiguous areas. The ideal candidate is interested in acquiring distinctive competencies in economics, statistics, management and neuroscience, but does not necessarily need to have previous training in these areas. However, it is crucial that the candidate demonstrates solid quantitative skills, comparable with those typically acquired in economics-managerial degrees.

The Program prepares to face, analyze and solve a wide spectrum of complex and interdisciplinary problems of relevance at the institutional, social and industrial level, with the primary objective of identifying sustainable solutions and designing effective intervention policies in the economic and social spheres, as well as in business life, understood in a broad sense.

Outgoing profiles share a characterizing common part of training on the behavior of economic decision-makers and on the statistical-econometric analysis of data and evidence, plus dedicated specialization along the lines of economics and management, management and decision sciences, or economics and decision sciences.

Job placement opportunities range from academia, in the various disciplines of the CUN 13 macro-area (economic sciences and statistics) and in contiguous areas, to the public sector, international institutions, research laboratories, study centers, and regulatory authorities, as well as the private sector (services, industry and professional advice).

To find out more about the School, the admission requirements and how to apply, please visit https://www.imtlucca.it/en/phd/information-for-students

Deadline for applications – June 30th, 2022, 12 pm CEST

School

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is a public graduate school and research institute that focuses on the analysis of economic, societal, technological and cultural systems. The School has been under the direction of Prof. Pietro Pietrini since November of 2015. Since IMT’s institution by ministerial decree of November 18th 2005, the School has distinguished itself thanks to the quality and innovativeness of its research and doctoral program and its interdisciplinary nature, characterized by the complementarity and discourse between methodologies drawn from economics, engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, physics, archeology, art history and the analysis and management of cultural heritage. The fusion between art and technology is also reflected in the School state-of-the-art campus, located principally in the newly restored San Francesco Complex. The entire campus is found within the historic city center of Lucca, which is completely surrounded by fully-intact Renaissance-era walls. The campus includes spaces for research and laboratories, courses, and living and recreation. The campus is completed by the IMT Library, which offers a plethora of resources and offers additional working and research areas for the IMT community, and the city of Lucca in general.

Research and Educational Mission

IMT researchers carry out cutting-edge methodological research to generate knowledge, apply knowledge to solve problems of an economic, industrial, societal and cultural nature, and transmit knowledge through highly specialized graduate courses and seminars. Starting from the overlying fundamental principle of scientific excellence, which applies to all areas and levels of the IMT research community, the School distinguishes itself through its interdisciplinary orientation to develop innovative research and acquire greater international visibility. The School’s interdisciplinary research program is articulated in four scientific macro-areas: Economics, Management Science, and Complex systems; Computer science and Systems engineering; Cognitive and Social Neuroscience; Cultural heritage. The School’s interdisciplinary research program is articulated in four scientific macro-areas of Economics Management science and Complex systems, Computer science, Systems engineering, Cultural heritage, with an additional area of Political History The School’s research is further organized into distinct yet multidisciplinary research units (RU). Most RUs are characterized by a pyramidal structure where the vertex is occupied by a prominent senior researcher, junior faculty members constitute the intermediate level, and the base is formed by a small group of doctoral students, actively contributing to the research as part of their studies. Other RUs instead are structured in a multipolar fashion, with highly specialized research centered on thematic nuclei and the contribution of diverse methodologies. The work carried out in the research units is intimately linked to IMT’s multidisciplinary Ph.D. program, which provides a unique and characteristic patrimony of competences within the broad framework of the analysis and management of a plurality of systems. The program is articulated in curricula that share common core courses and provide specialized training in the specific discipline of the doctoral thesis. At the end of the program, students can successfully face appointments in and outside academia because of their ability to recognize and solve new and increasingly complex problems.The hunger to learn, analyze and resolve problems, the ability to embrace an approach to problem-solving that is not limited by the confines of any single discipline, and the aptitude to quickly familiarize oneself with the tools and methods in fields outside of one’s own are the three talents that IMT aims to cultivate in its doctoral students. IMT receives thousands of applications every year for the program from every corner of the globe.

Impact

IMT makes an impact at various levels and in multiple spheres. In terms of research, despite its relatively young age, IMT already enjoys many concrete successes, hosting a variety of international, European and national research projects which account for nearly half of its yearly budget. Furthermore, the high scientific quality of the School's professors and researchers has recently been certified by the ANVUR (National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes). IMT obtained an excellent result, ranking first in area 13 “economics and statistics”, with an average score of 0.91/1 for the publications presented. Also taking into account the other scientific areas of the School, the comprehensive average score was 0.92/1, with an average of 0.98/1 in the areas of computer science, engineering, and mathematics. This represents an extraordinary success, as similar results were not achieved by any other university in all 14 of the areas evaluated. Research at IMT is also carried out in close collaboration with the local territory through various initiatives and projects in a variety of areas (tissue industry, healthcare industry, marine industry, ICT for smart cities and many others) in collaboration with the municipality of Lucca. IMT promotes higher education and research apprenticeships Companies can contact to IMT to activate higher education and research apprenticeship agreements with students that have been deemed eligible to enroll in IMT's Ph.D. program. Companies can also contact the School with profiles of interest (that are also in line with IMT's research agenda) to advertise in the next Ph.D. program call. More info on apprenticeships page. The School continues reinforcing its impact on the territory by intensifying its collaborations with businesses, public entities, institutions, schools and by continuing the successful OPEN IMT Conferences program of open-door cultural and scientific events.