Goals

One of the project's key priorities is to train students thoroughly in the latest research approaches and themes in geosciences. This overarching objective will have an impact on both the Doctoral Course in Geosciences and Master's degree programs at the Department.

The project aims to achieve four major objectives for highly qualified education:

- Doctoral Course in Geosciences: Training a new generation of geoscientists and professionals with expertise in environmental issues, including the use of big data.

- Master's degree courses: A) Expansion of the curriculum and educational activities related to the following themes: i) protection and management of water and soil resources; ii) georesources for energy transition and geomaterials; and iii) impact of climate change and risk mitigation. B) Integration of innovative teaching elements such as data digitalization and 3D modeling. C) Strengthening the level of internationalization

Strategies

The project will fund six Ph.D. scholarships, focused on research topics and methodologies related to the major scientific objectives. Specialized courses on Data Science techniques will be organized for PhD students. The Department will initiate internal calls to organize summer schools in line with the overarching theme of "Geosciences for Sustainable Development," with a budget allocation of 20.000 euros. In the frame of Master's degree courses, significant expansion of the existing virtual classroom is planned, and a dedicated digital microscopy classroom will be established.

Progresses

2023_April. First call for Ph.D. positions

2023_September. Internal call for supporting organization of 2 Summer School aligned with the major project theme of "Geosciences for Sustainable Development."

2023_October. The first two Ph.D. students supported by the project begin their journeys.

2023_October. Supplementary call for a Ph.D. position. 

		Junaid Khan, from Pakistan, will work under the guidance of Prof. Mario Floris on advanced numerical modelling and remote sensing techniques for the characterization and assessment of geohazards at multiple scales. Here the video with the interview of Junaid Khan
		Abdullah Abdulghany, from Egypt, will investigate integration of CO2 mineralization with mining under supervision of Dr. Valentina Prigiobbe. Here the video with the speech of Abdullah Abdulghany

2024_January. A new Ph.D. student starts his research within the project. 

Matteo Censini will be involved in the characterization of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) and monitoring of mass and energy states and fluxes under the supervision of Prof. Giorgio Cassiani Here the video with the interview of Matteo Censini

2024_March. Call for the International Summer School: “Mass movements under climate change: characterisation and monitoring”:

• Web Page of The Summer School
• Poster with detailed program

2024_April. Call for 3 Ph.D. positions

2024_April. The Department announces a shorth course for PhD students titled “Machine Learning for Optical Image Analysis: Focus on Landslides and Floods” that will be held in June 2024.

2024_July: Internal call for support in organizing a summer school focused on the main theme of the project "Geosciences for Sustainable Development."

2024_September. Summer School: “Mass movements under climate change: characterisation and monitoring”:

• an overview of the activities carried out

2024_September: Students can use the new digital microscopy classroom

2024_October: Supplementary call for a PhD scholarship

2024_November: Two new PhD students start their research within the project:

• Bruno Casarotto will work under the supervision of Prof. Matteo Massironi on hyperspectral analyses in the Venetian upper plain for soil classification

• Leonardo Sciamanna will work under the supervision of Prof. Paolo Nimis on the distribution of rare earth elements in the Roman magmatic province