INTERNATIONAL PhD PROGRAM IN
IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
Riccardo Alessandro, Full Professor of Biology and Genetics
Dep. Of Biopathology and Biomedical and Forensic Biotechnologies
Palermo – 18 | 03 | 2013
PARTNERS OF THE PROGRAM
This Doctoral Program offers cutting edge training in a variety of topics,
covering Immunology and Immunopathology, Immunology of infectious
diseases (particularly tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS), Tumor immunobiology
(particularly tumor stem cells), Molecular and Cellular Biology, Imaging,
Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics.
BOARD OF PROFESSORS
Admission
• To be admitted to the PhD Programme, candidates must
hold a university degree in the life sciences or medicine
from an internationally recognized university or
institution
• The access to the PhD Programme is regulated by a
competitive examination
• The admission examination is taken in English
• The competition is focused on a suggested PhD proposal
submitted by the candidate followed by an interview
Proposal to PhD Project
The manuscript should be in the form of a grant application:
• Summary: must be self-explanatory and intelligible
without reference to the text.
• Hypothesis and specific objectives: description of the
main questions to be answered and the expected results
to be obtained.
• Background: containing a description of the problem
under investigation and a survey of the existing
literature on the subject.
• Workplan: describing the methodology to be used
• Preliminary results within the group
ADMISSION
Interview with a Board of Examiners
• The Evaluation or Examining board in
charge of competitive examinations at
University of Palermo is composed by
three members, one of each participating
institution, all appointed by the Board of
Professors
PhD Thesis Defense
• To obtain the Italian PhD degree, during the third year students have to
defend their thesis, which will be written in English (with extensive
summaries in Italian language).
• It is recommended that, at the time of thesis presentation, the students
have at least two articles published in international journals.
• The defence will take place in front of a committee composed by one
professor from each participating Institution (with exclusion of the tutors)
and one external representative, indicated by the Board of Professors,
who has to be an expert in the scientific field of the thesis.
• To obtain the Swedish PhD degree, during the fourth year, students have
to defend their final thesis at the University of Stockholm, in accordance
with national laws and internal regulations.
• The PhD certificate is awarded from the University of Stockholm
Interaction of PhD students with
Supervisors
How does the student find his/her supervisor ?
•
•
•
Generally, the student has worked during the Master degree with
his/her supervisor;
The Board of professors assigns the student to the supervisor
depending by the proposed PhD project,
The Board of professors assigns the student to the supervisor
depending by the number of PhD students already working with the
different available supervisors
How does the student interact with his/her supervisor ?
•
•
Almost all supervisors have, once a week, a lab meeting where the different
research projects are discussed to evaluate progresses and to solve problems;
One-to-One meeting with each PhD student to discuss the progress of research
project;
Mobility
• A mobility period of at least six months is
mandatory for all PhD students
• The student mobility program will be developed
within the Institutions which are part of the
Agreement. However, for specific scientific needs,
students may visit other universities and research
institutions, which are not part of the Agreement.
This has to be proposed to and approved by the
Board of Professors.
One PhD Student each
year is hosted by Riken
Institute for a week.
(Airflight, Accomodation and Meals).
External Scientific Advisory Board
The International PhD Program in Immunopharmacology has appointed an external
Scientific Advisory Board, that meets at the end of each academic year to provide
guidance for monitoring and evaluating the PhD Program and to guarantee the
quality of the PhD Program
Members:
- Dr. Maurizio Aricò, Director of Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University
Hospital "Meyer", Florence, Italy;
- Dr. Ruggero De Maria, Scientific Director of the Oncology Institute of the Mediterranean,
Catania, Italy, and Director of the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine,
National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy;
- Dr.Federica Sallusto, Group Leader, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona,
Switzerland.
External Scientific Advisory Board
The Board of Professors performs regularly monitoring of the scientific
and educational activities. To accomplish the aim, the students annually
through anonymous questionnaire, make an assessment of the quality
and satisfaction of the PhD Program. The Board of Professors assesses
questionnaires, reports on the activities and gives tips to optimize the
PhD course
EVALUATION FORM
C) Learning activities and support services offered by the European PhD Course
N. B. Fill in the third column his approval under this scheme:
* Completely not satisfied
** Not satisfied
*** Partially satisfied
**** Satisfied
C1) Activities formal education provided during the PhD:
Enter the amount estimated in hours and the degree of satisfaction with each type of activity
Hours
Satisfa
ction
Courses for PhD students
University courses
Individual lessons
Lessons cycle
Other
C2) Teaching activities provided during the course of PhD:
Enter the amount estimated in hours and the degree of satisfaction with each type of activity
Hours
Participation in committees
Lessons
Seminars
Tutorials to students
Other
Satisfa
ction
EVALUATION FORM
C3) Methods of conducting the research of the candidate:
Enter for each mode, the percentage of time devoted (total research = 100%) and the assessment of the degree of benefit to their
training.
% time
Benefit
Individual research
Research activities group
C4) Period of research conducted abroad or in other external institutions:
Indicate the time spent in other foreign institutions and external customer satisfaction.
Foreign istitutions
Number of days
Satisfaction
EVALUATION FORM
C5) Facilities and equipment used during the PhD course at the University:
Give your opinion on adequacy of facilities/ equipment used for scientific training of the research.
They are available in an appropriate manner?
The technological level is adequate?
C6) Support services for training activities and research available at the University
Indicate the degree of satisfaction with services provided in the European PhD.
Libraries
Classrooms
Areas of study
Information on courses and teaching
Support from teachers
Facilities for staying abroad
EVALUATION FORM
D) Results of training.
Enter the total number of publications produced during the PhD course, indicating the number of publications
carried out as the single author and / or with other authors in the appropriate columns (attach a list of publications):
Number of publications
Publications on scientific journal
Publications on foreign scientific journal
Chapter/chapters book published in Italy
Chapter/ chapters book published abroad
Book published in Italy
Book published abroad
Abstract presentations in italian meetings
Abstract presentations in abroad meetings
Other
Number; of publications; single author
Number of publications:
with other authors
E) Further evaluations and suggestions on the following points.
Tips for a better functioning of studies and services
Satisfaction of your studies related to the congruence between the period of training and
level of learning-awaited, opportunity to find a job, opening to the scientific community, etc.
THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION