34th Cycle PhD Scholarship Programme in International Studies, Italy

 The University of Trento is offering 34th cycle of the PhD Scholarship Programme in International Studies commencing in the academic year 2018/2019.
The University of Trento is an Italian university located in Trento and nearby Rovereto. It has been able to achieve considerable results in didactics, research, and international relations according to CENSIS and the Italian Ministry of Education.
The programme is conducted entirely in English. An international certificate attesting the candidate’s knowledge of English at C1 level or higher in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)  is an indispensable requirement for admission. Foreign students are encouraged to obtain a working knowledge of the Italian language. Applicants may have their TOEFL language test results directly sent to the School. Please note that the TOEFL Code Control of the School of International Studies is 6286.

Scholarship Description:

• Application Deadline: May 24, 2018
• Course Level: Scholarships are available to pursue PhD programme.
• Study Subject: The PhD programme in International Studies focuses on the study of complex international phenomena, which often prove comprehensible only when analysed with the support of various, interconnected disciplines. For this reason, the course takes a multidisciplinary approach that combines solid foundations in one or more reference disciplines with the discovery of methodologies, concepts and keys to interpretation that derive from the other core sectors in international studies.
• Scholarship Award: Starting from the 1st January 2018 the annual gross amount of the doctoral scholarship has increased to € 15.343,28, including the social security contributions that have to be paid by the Doctoral students.
• The University of Trento in order to enhance, even economically, those involved in the doctoral path, has decided to increase it up to the gross amount of € 16.290,00 starting from the 1st November 2018 (A.Y. 2018/2019).
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
• Number of Scholarships: The scholarships are funded as follows: –
• 5 scholarships by the University of Trento
• 1 scholarship by the European Academy of Bolzano (Eurac Research) on the topic “Cross-Border Co-operation, Sub-National Entities and Multi-Level Governance”.
• Scholarship can be taken in Italy

Eligibility for the Scholarship: 

Eligible Countries: Applicants of all nationalities are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
Entrance Requirements: To be eligible for this scholarship you must meet the following requirements:

1. Applications for admission to the PhD programme described above are accepted from candidates (regardless of gender, age, religion or nationality), who hold:
2. a) An Italian Laurea Magistrale, recognised by Ministerial Decree no. 270 of 22 October 2004 or
3. b) Second level degree awarded by an Italian “AFAM” Institute (Artistic and Musical Higher Education) or
4. c) An equivalent degree qualification awarded abroad at an officially recognized academic institution and which is considered suitable1 by the admissions committee for the sole purpose of participating in this admissions process. Foreign qualifications must be equivalent to the Italian ‘Laurea Magistrale’ (master’s degree), in terms of duration, level and subject area2 and must give access to an academic course equivalent to the PhD in the country/higher education system where the degree was issued. The preferred disciplines are Economics, Law, Political Science and Sociology, International Relations, as well as Humanities, History and Philosophy, or other disciplines related to International Studies.
5. Applications are also accepted from candidates who expect to obtain their master’s degree or equivalent by 31 July 2018.
6. In this case, admission is “conditional” and applicants must submit the degree certificate (to the ‘PhD Office – Cognitive, Social Sciences and Humanities’ (email: phd.office-cssh@unitn.it; fax n. + 39 0461 282191) no later than 3 September 2018. Failure to provide the degree certificate or the selfdeclaration (see Annex A) will lead to forfeiture of grant and position.
7. Candidates who hold a foreign academic qualification that has not yet been declared equivalent3 to the requested Italian second level degree (Laurea magistrale/Specialistica/vecchio ordinamento) submit an implicit request for equivalence in their application by attaching the required documents.
8. Candidates who hold a foreign academic qualification that has already been declared equivalent to an Italian second level degree by the academic competent bodies of an Italian university, have to upload in the online application the decree of equivalence (the Italian Rector’s Decree issued by the University).
9. The admissions committee will publish online a list of candidate application IDs whose academic qualification has been considered ineligible.
10. It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide all documents useful to their evaluation, especially if the higher education system of the country where the title was obtained is not comparable with the Italian one. The admissions committee may request further documentation via the administrative offices, if deemed necessary in order to establish suitability of the qualification before the start of the selection process.

English Language Requirements: Official language of the university is English. However, all PhD students are encouraged to learn Italian during their studies.

Application Procedure: 

How to Apply: Application can only be made online using the form at: http://www.unitn.it/en/apply/dott. A username and password are required to access the UniTrento reserved area. Candidates must first register on the University website: http://www.unitn.it/en/account. The issue of passwords can take up to two working days. You are therefore advised to register well ahead of the deadline.