The National PhD in Heritage Science (PhD-HS.it) aims to enhance coordination, overcome fragmentation in advanced education within the field of applied research on cultural heritage, and create a new generation of researchers and professionals in the sector. These individuals will be equipped to collaborate and compete in the most prestigious European and international initiatives.

To achieve this goal, PhD-HS.it promotes the mobility of doctoral students and faculty across different locations within the same curriculum and, when possible, across multiple curricula. The program is designed with a strong international orientation to attract students from abroad and train highly qualified personnel capable of competing globally.

European research infrastructures provide an ideal environment for training new generations in a highly interdisciplinary and excellence-driven setting. PhD-HS.it encourages doctoral students to utilize these research facilities and engage in their activities.

The heritage science sector is supported by a network of research infrastructures recognized at both European and global levels and included in the ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) Roadmap. Key infrastructures include:

E-RIHS (European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science), led by Italy, and

DARIAH ERIC (Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities European Research Infrastructure Consortium).

The PhD-HS program is structured into interdisciplinary curricula to encompass the wide range of knowledge areas involved in cultural heritage, including archaeology, artificial intelligence, art history, applied physics for material studies, museology, environmental sciences, and more.

The goal is to create a synergistic system where the next generation can benefit from cutting-edge expertise, combining the opportunities offered by humanistic knowledge and technological innovation.

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The National Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence at Sapienza continues the experience represented by the Federation of the Five National PhDs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), started in November 2021 and described on the PhD-AI.it website. Each of them addresses a central theme in the digital transformation of society, namely the discipline of Artificial Intelligence. They are led by a coordinating university, aggregate a wide consortium of academic and research institutions, and collaborate with the others at various levels, creating a true network of Ph.Ds with a common basis focused on the foundational aspects of AI and five areas of specialization, described below with the indication of the corresponding coordinators:

• Health and Life Sciences - Coordinator: Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma

• Agrifood and Environment - Coordinator: Università di Napoli Federico II

• Government and Public Bodies - Coordinator: Sapienza Università di Roma

• Industry - Coordinator: Politecnico di Torino

• Society - Coordinator: Università di Pisa

At a general level, the National Ph.D. program was established to move the Italian scientific community towards the creation of a federation of Ph.D. programs in AI at the highest scientific level, in order to stimulate research and industrial and social innovation in the country. With regard to both the foundations and the transformative effects of AI, the themes of the National Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence are characterized by a strong multidisciplinary nature, which promotes the integration of principles, methodologies, and technologies from different fields, including computer science, mathematics, physics, robotics, biology, and cognitive sciences.

The following universities and institutions, in addition to Sapienza, participate in the National Ph.D in AI:

University of L’Aquila

Polytechnic of Bari

Free University of Bolzano

University of Brescia

University of Cagliari

University of Calabria

University of Genova

University of Roma Tre

University of Verona

University of Udine

Gran Sasso Institute

Bruno Kessler Foundation

The specific objectives of the PhD-AI are:

• Build a community of young researchers in training and AI researchers distributed on a territorial and disciplinary level;

• Promote the exchange of multidisciplinary experiences within the network through teaching and research mobility periods of Ph.D. students;

• Integrate and strengthen the Italian network of AI research centers, also in relation to the European ICT-48-H2020 program “Towards a vibrant European network of AI excellence centres” and to the European strategy for a trustworthy and human-centric AI development.

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The fundamental importance of Earth Observation (EO) for civil purposes has long been well recognized in the technical-scientific community, aimed at the most global and continuous monitoring possible of our planet from multiple perspectives, for the benefit of environmental knowledge, preservation, and the quality of life on Earth.

A significant portion of the approximately 250 indicators defined to represent the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) relies on information obtained through EO, which plays a central role in the activities of the United Nations initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). This importance is further emphasized by international initiatives such as the Group on Earth Observation (GEO).

For several decades (since the 1970s), EO missions have been promoted internationally by government agencies and, more recently (in the early 21st century), by private companies. A comprehensive and updated review of such missions is available at the link eoportal.org. These data are complemented by observations from numerous field sensors that measure the Earth's state in real time, while Geoinformation allows for their validation, integration, and processing through traditional analysis and artificial intelligence to extract information and knowledge.

In this context, the Copernicus program (https://www.copernicus.eu/en), coordinated and managed by the European Commission in collaboration with Member States, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Environment Agency, and some European organizations with specific tasks, plays a crucial role. Copernicus is dedicated to providing public authorities, organizations, and service providers in Europe and internationally not only with EO data and field sensor observations but, most importantly, with services based on information extracted from these (and other ancillary information) in a free and open-access manner.

It is important to underline that the fundamental feature of Copernicus, which shapes its organizational rules and the investments necessary for its implementation, is its commitment to offering services officially driven by the needs and requirements expressed by end users.

In this sense, it is essential to have professionals capable of identifying the widest range of users, collecting their needs, designing appropriate services to meet them, determining the most suitable access methods for users generally not specialized in EO, and, where possible, enhancing their expertise.

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The National Doctorate in Peace Studies constitutes a space for interdisciplinary and innovative training and research on the themes of conflict and peace. The first of its kind in Italy, it was initiated by RUniPace, the Network of Italian Universities for Peace (CRUI Network). The Network inspired its founding values, interdisciplinary design, constructive inter-university collaboration, and interaction between the academic world and Italian society at large, reflecting the foundational values of the member universities and the CRUI that unites them.

In Italy, there are already bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, research centers dedicated to the study of peace, and significant initiatives at all levels of university life. This doctoral project enables the development of specialized knowledge, high-level research activities, and cross-disciplinary skills to identify and prevent potential conflict situations. The participating universities aim to develop advanced education in Italy on peace themes, human rights, conflict and peace studies, disarmament, and building inclusive and sustainable societies. This goal is pursued through vibrant interaction with existing international thematic projects.

The National Doctorate in Peace Studies (DIN Peace Studies) is founded on the values of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Union framework, the Italian Constitution, and the various international cooperation agreements in which Italy participates. It also aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and local policies promoting peace, common well-being, and quality of life. Additional references include the priority areas of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the National Research Plan (PNR), aiming to disseminate knowledge of peace-related themes and areas of study and research in academia, public administrations, and innovative professional pathways.

The overarching goal of this project is to promote interdisciplinary and cross-cutting advanced training and research pathways capable of providing innovative perspectives and developing a field of study with significant positive societal impact. It addresses the challenges of a rapidly transforming natural and human environment. The doctorate is therefore organized into 10 training curricula.

In summary, the National Doctorate in Peace Studies aims to provide high-level interdisciplinary training, fostering collaboration among Italian and international universities to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing society and environment. Inspired by universal values and sustainable development goals, the Doctorate focuses on conflict and peace issues, significantly contributing to the creation of a more just and peaceful society through advanced research and the practical application of competencies acquired across its 10 curricula.

DIN Peace Studies Curricula

Technology, Sustainability, and Peace

Identities, Memories, Religions, and Peace

Peacebuilding, Human Rights, and Peoples' Rights

Peace Education and Migration

Architectures and Landscapes of Peace

Space, Territories, Resources, and Narratives in the Perspective of Peace

Peace Economics

Literature, Arts, Philosophy, and Peace Imaginaries

Restorative Justice, Transitional Justice, and Nonviolent Conflict Transformation

Dynamics, Processes, and Actors in International Relations

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