PhD in Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies Engineering

Academic Year 2021-2022
Subject area Engineering Studies
Cycle 37
Coordinator Prof. Aldo Romani
Language English
Duration 3 years
Positions 29 positions. More information in the PhD Programme Table.
Application deadline May 21, 2021 at 12:00 PM (Expired)
Enrolment period From Jul 23, 2021 to Aug 02, 2021
Doctoral programme start date Nov 01, 2021
Operating centre
Bologna
Main Department
Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi" - DEI
Associated Departments
"Ercole De Castro" Advanced Research Center on Electonic System- ARCES
Research topics
  • Analog and digital circuits and electronic systems
  • Analysis and simulation of semiconductor devices
  • Applications of Information technologies: smart cities, smart grid, etc
  • Cyber physical systems
  • Communication theory and its applications
  • Communications architectures, systems, and networks: wireless, cellular, fixed / mobile terrestrial / satellite, wired and optical
  • Electromagnetic theory, antennas, antenna systems and active antennas at microwave and millimeter waves, IoT applications, smart beamforming, channel propagation models
  • Electronic devices
  • Electronics for telecommunications
  • Embedded systems
  • Energy harvesting
  • Information theory and its applications
  • Intelligent sensors
  • Micro and nano-technologies
  • Microwave Photonics
  • Microwave and millimetre wave circuits and systems
  • Navigation and positioning systems and applications
  • Network control and management: software defined networks
  • Performance evaluation of communication networks
  • Statistical signal processing and its applications
  • Ultrasonics Wireless power and data transfer
  • Science of Creative Thinking with Applications in the ICT Domain
  • Precision agricolture and IoT circuits, systems for pervasive monitoring
Job opportunities and potential areas of employment
The tight relation of the ETIT Programme with the industrial environment is inherent to the topics of the PhD itself that are characterized by a rapid evolution, strictly related to the base and applied research of the Department. Industries, research institutes, governmental and public administrations, and service providers have shown an outstanding interest in the ETIT PhD and represent its natural placement target. In particular, ETIT PhD degree holders have excellent opportunities being employed in high tech industries, as well as in the research and development industrial departments and institutions. The ETIT competences are not only appreciated in ICT companies and institutions, but also in all of those companies making significant use of ICT technologies and services such as computer networks, machine to machine communications, wireless communications, sensor networks, embedded systems, distributed computing systems, digital electronic devices, RFID system, ecc.
Admission Board

Surname Name University/Institution Role email
Dardari Davide Università di Bologna Member
Reggiani Susanna Università di Bologna Member
Vitucci Enrico Maria Università di Bologna Member
Barbiroli Marina Università di Bologna Substitute
Buratti Chiara Università di Bologna Substitute
Santarelli Alberto Università di Bologna Substitute

The following shall take part in the work of the Examination Board as expert members: Corrado Florian (Arca Tecnologie, corrado.florian@unibo.it), Roberto Verdone (CNIT Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni, roberto.verdone@unibo.it), Francesco Mete (EbWorld Srl, f.mete@ebw.it), Danilo Gotta (TIM S.p.a., danilo.gotta@telecomitalia.it), Enrico Buracchini (TIM S.p.a., enrico.buracchini@telecomitalia.it), Alessandro Perazzo (FEV Italia Srl, perazzo@fev.com), Massimiliano Giacometti (HENSOLDT Cyber GmbH, massimiliano.giacometti@hensoldt.cyber.de); Elisabetta Farella (Fondazione Bruno Kessler, efarella@fbk.eu), Alessio Brutti (brutti@fbk.eu, Fondazione Bruno Kessler).

Learning outcomes
The objective is to prepare researchers able to perform scientific and industrial research, to innovate, and to manage complex projects. The Programme covers research topics related to: Electronics, Telecommunications and Electromagnetics fields. The Electronics area covers the study of devices, circuits and electronic systems, microelectronics, micro- and nano-technologies, electronics, digital systems, electronic systems for implementation and monitoring, modern HW/SW computing systems. The Electromagnetic fields area covers research activities related to microwaves and optical systems, antennas and propagation, and the theory of Electromagnetics fields applied to electronics and TLC systems and devices. The Telecommunications area covers the study of TLC systems and networks (wireless/cellular, terrestrial/satellite, wired/optical networks), and associated devices. The PhD Programme focuses also on ICT, i.e., multimedia applications and services, Smart cities, Smart Grids, etc.
Activities to be carried out by Doctoral candidates
PhD candidates' activity is mainly focused on the following two areas:
a) training through research
b) training through structured training courses and specific workshops and seminars.

Training through research: the aim of this activity is to increase the know-how of the PhD candidates through research activities related to the specific research programmes identified and designed by the Academic Board on the basis of the Supervisor proposals. PhD candidates dedicate a large part of their time to perform high level research activities under the guidance of their supervisor and in the context of larger research groups.
Participation to structured courses and specific workshops: the aim of this activity is that of complementing the knowledge background of the PhD candidates through ad-hoc courses on specific topics related to their field of research. A significant part of the training through courses aims also at broadening the PhD candidate perspective and knowledge base by providing courses on interdisciplinary and basic topics.
Research training activities compliant with the Doctoral programme's learning outcomes
Training activities are planned throughout the PhD Programme, aiming to complete and complement basic knowledge, and above all to support the acquisition of methods and knowledge necessary to carry out research within the chosen theme. This is achieved mainly through specialized seminars, given by professors of the University or external guest lecturers, invited as part of national and international research collaborations. Lectures and laboratory courses at the graduate level cover advanced topics of Electronics, Computers and Telecommunications, and often have a highly multi-disciplinary character. Candidates may also participate, subject to authorization by the Academic Board, to master-level courses. Graduate student’s training also makes use of educational activities coordinated at national level, generally organized for teaching advanced topics to candidates from different universities. Furthermore, University of Bologna organises, under the coordination of its PhD Office, basic training on research and IPR management, research funding systems, research result exploitation, and business development. Overall, in three years, candidates have to spend at least 180 hours in training activities documented by an officially final test. At the end of each academic year, the Academic Board will evaluate the proposed training programme for each student. An updated calendar of the graduate courses offered to candidates is regularly published on the PhD official web site.
Internationalization features
- Optional period abroad, usually pursued by the totality of the PhD candidates.
- Dissemination of the course abroad through contacts and international collaborations of all the ETIT and DEI professors.
- More than 25% of ETIT candidates have foreign degrees.
- Co-tutelle agreements with European and non-European entities:
i) active cotutelle agreement with UBS (Francia) and CEA-LETI;
ii) successful application to VINCI call (https://www.universite-franco-italienne.org) of the Italian-French University, with proponents: ETIT and École Doctorale en Mathématiques et Sciences et Technologies de Information and Communication: (MSTIC) of the Université de Paris Est, tutor and co-tutors are member of the ETIT Academic board;
iii) Et-IT members promoted the framework agreement with the National Chiao Tung University THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (NCTU), for doctorates in co-tutelle with many PhD Programmes of the University of Bologna. ETIT doctoral research projects will be in co-operation with the INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY (NCTU) is underway;
iv) UNIBO framework agreement with CSC (CHINA) for full supporting Chinese candidates to attend UNIBO ETIT doctorate.
- Marie Curie projects.
- ETIT welcomes foreign candidates with specific international mobility and training Programmes (eg China Scholarship Council).
- Participate in University programmes (eg: Marco Polo Programme) to support the PhD candidates' training abroad.
- Research and / or teaching collaborations with: ETH, Zurich, Imperial College, London, CTTC Barcelona, UPC Barcelona, UCLA, UCSD, KU Leuven, Univ. De Aveiro, Univ. Of Erlangen, TU Munich, U. of Colorado, DLR Munich, CEA-LETI, Oulu Univ., Georgia Tech., U. of Bristol, NTNU Trondheim, KTH Sweden, MIT, ENSTA Paris, TU Eindhoven, Southampton Univ., Penn State Univ.
- Numerous international conferences of interest to the doctorate are attended by the PhD candidates and some "best paper awards" are recognised regularly.
Expected research results and products
Expected outcomes of the PhD activities are
- Publications on peered review high quality journal international scientific;
- Publications and participation to international high quality scientific conferences;
- Generation of new IPR;
- Strengthening and generation of international collaborations (mainly through the research periods spent abroad);
- Knowledge transfer to other PhDs and Researchers through seminar and workshops.
Doctoral programme Academic Board
Name Surname University/Institution Qualification
Andrea Acquaviva Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Chiara Buratti Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Walter Cerroni Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Marco Chiani Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Giovanni Emanuele Corazza Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Alessandra Costanzo Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Davide Dardari Università di Bologna Professore Associato Confermato
Claudio Fiegna Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Corrado Florian Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Franco Fuschini Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Raffaele Giaffreda Fondazione Bruno Kessler Primo Ricercatore
Diego Masotti Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Amy Lynn Murphy Fondazione Bruno Kessler Ricercatore Ente
Enrico Paolini Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Gianni Pasolini Università di Bologna Ricercatore Confermato
Carla Raffaelli Università di Bologna Professore Associato Confermato
Susanna Reggiani Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Aldo Romani Università di Bologna Professore Associato
Riccardo Rovatti Università di Bologna Professore Ordinario
Alberto Santarelli Università di Bologna Professore Associato Confermato
Giovanni Tartarini Università di Bologna Professore Associato Confermato
Alessandro Vanelli Coralli Università di Bologna Professore Associato