PhD programme in Science and Management of Climate Change at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and CMCC

prof. Enrica De Cian, Ca’ Foscari University
enrica.decian@unive.it

Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics

The PhD programme in Science and Management of Climate Change is a joint initiative of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC).

The PhD programme offers a 4-year fully funded scholarship, including one year of full-time coursework, with worldwide research opportunities and connections to a broad international network of top-level universities and research centers in the field, as well as placement in highly renowned institutions afterwards. The programme is conducted entirely in English.

Students come from very diverse backgrounds, ranging from engineering science, to social science, political science, natural science, and environmental science.

Training Activities 36° cycle for ANVUR Accreditation

• Training Activities 36° cycle [IT]679 K

The main objective of the programme is to create scholars who can navigate the complex and multi-faceted dimensions of the grand challenges posed by climate change. It prepares experts with a broad and thorough scientific background in economics, climate science, valuation techniques and with specific modelling skills who can:

• Understand and explain the physical and economic nature of climate change
• Assess the impacts, socio-economic effects, and uncertainties related to climate change
• Evaluates the socio-economic implications of mitigation and adaptation policies
• Apply interdisciplinary concepts, methods, and tools to analyze and design innovative climate policy solutions
• Apply interdisciplinary concepts, methods, and tools to conceive transformational pathways in the context of sustainable development
• Synthesize and communicate the different dimensions of climate change and their uncertainties to different users – from the general public to policy makers and the scientific community

The PhD in Science and Management of Climate Change brings together the science and the economics of climate change.

Key research themes of the PhD programme include:

• Dynamics of climate variations and change
• Ocean Dynamics
• Glaciology
• Polar Climate and Sea Ice
• Assessment of biophysical and socio-economic impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies
• Analysis of national and international mitigation and adaptation policies in the context of sustainable development
• Risk assessment and decision support systems (DSS) for environmental impacts of climate

The programme offers a mix of practical and theoretical learning with a strong focus on the interaction between students and teaching staff. Experts from national and international organizations and research centers participate in some courses. The programme has connections with an extensive network of top universities (e.g. MIT, Harvard University, Columbia University, and Imperial College of London), national and international research institutes (e.g. CNR, CMCC, OGS, and PIK), as well as consultancy agencies (e.g. Climate Policy Initiative) where students can conduct research for their PhD theses.
By acquiring a sound scientific understanding of how to approach climate change at the global level, PhD graduates will be able to assume leadership roles in the academic world (e.g. Georgia Institute of Technology, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, CMCC, CNR, and OGS), in consultancy, as well as in the energy and insurance sectors, both private (e.g. Climate Policy Initiative and Acclimatise) and public (e.g. World Bank, European Commission, and World Resources Institute).

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