DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN ENvIRONMENTAL AND INfRAsTRuCTuREs ENGINEERING

The Doctorate in Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering has been operating since the academic year 2008/2009. The program introduces doctoral students to the world of research on key theoretical and technological elements associated with water, environment, hydraulic and transportation infrastructures, geology, as well as geomatics. In this context, the program is grounded on environmental, civil, and industrial applications where water is the primary unifying element. The doctorate program is characterized by a strong interand multidisciplinary structure and is organized according to the following key thematic areas. 1. Hydraulic Engineering, where major research themes include: fluid mechanics; fluid-structure interactions; hydraulic measurements; river hydraulics; sediment mechanics; hydraulic risk assessment and management; flow and transport processes in porous systems; hydraulic networks, hydro-energy; oil and gas development and applications. 2. Hydrology, hydraulic structures, water resources and coastal engineering, where the main research topics include: hydrology and water resources, with emphasis on the main physical processes of the hydrological cycle, water and energy budgets; hydrogeological hazard and mitigation strategies, including hydrological extremes, floods, droughts and precipitation, early warning operative systems, snow avalanching and flood risk; hydraulic networks engineering; and coastal engineering. 3. Environmental technologies, with focus on: water supply technology and treatment, (including disposal / reuse of wastewater, sludge management and disposal, anaerobic digestion processes); management and planning of environmental resources (including water quality modelling, knowledge-based decision support systems); solid wastes and sludge management; phenomenology of the atmospheric environment and treatment of gaseous emissions; contaminated soils and their remediation. 4. Transport infrastructures and geology, with focus on: transport networks, including functional interactions with regional, national and international territory; sustainable development, in terms of dynamics of development and its relations with the infrastructure system; technological innovation, including methods and indicators for performance characterization of infrastructure construction and maintenance techniques; hydrogeological risk, landslide hazard; water resources identification and management, pollution problems. 5. Geomatics, with focus on: physical geodesy and satellite geodesy; positioning and navigation; surface surveying with optical or other sensors, such as SAR, LIDAR; digital photogrammetry and image analysis; remote sensing; geographic information systems; cultural heritage reconstruction and archiving. The curriculum of PhD students has been tailored to the general and specific research questions associated with the multifaceted interactions between the water sphere and the key evolving anthropogenic activities responding to the needs of modern society. Career perspectives include opportunities at Universities, Research Centers, public bodies and Authorities, as well as private companies / industry. Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) which cannot afford the development of an in-house specific know-how program may also require such highly professional profiles to guarantee critical innovation and competitiveness.