PhD in Experimental Research through Design, Art and Technologies

The PhD programme aims to train a new generation of researchers capable of embracing the opportunities offered by the convergence of design, art, social sciences, humanities and technologies, integrating complex knowledge to address multiple global challenges from a post-disciplinary perspective. 

Application deadline: April 21, 2026 / Beginning of studies: November 1, 2026. 

Program 
The three-year programme brings together academic staff from different faculties of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Design and Art, Engineering and Education) and nationally and internationally renowned experts, fostering a research model based on dialogue and collaboration across disciplines. 

The programme provides a space for speculative, critical and pragmatic reflection on problems, possible solutions and emerging conceptual perspectives inspired by design culture and artistic production. It integrates complex design, scientific and social knowledge and requires the establishment of collaborative relationships with human, non-human and more than human actors through intercultural methods, learning from others, embracing cultural relativism and experimenting with new research tools and practices. 

Design and art practices can respond to the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing, data-driven technologies, and human-computer interaction through a shared reflection on social models and cultural practices in the light of ethical, inclusive, culturally sensitive and sustainable principles. 

The PhD programme encourages candidates to tackle a wide range of global challenges by exploring environmental, social, political, and cultural issues. This is achieved through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches, where students are invited to experiment with innovative, critical, and exploratory methods. The goal is to create new knowledge, advance sustainability and diversity, and support social and environmental justice. Additionally, the programme promotes eco-social transformation and critically examines both the possibilities and the limitations of technological progress, all within the intercultural framework of design and art. 

Duration of the programme: Three years. Courses will be taught in English. Places available: Four with scholarship and one without scholarship. 

Ideal applicants are: 
Ideal candidates will understand the complexity of the programme and its transdisciplinary nature and will be able to develop a project proposal that is consistent with the values and mission of the doctoral programme. Selection is based on Curriculum Vitae, publications and/or portfolio and outline of a research proposal. 

The proposal should clearly explain the relevance and innovation of the research, the methodological approach, and, above all, the project's original contribution to knowledge growth, its relevance within the debate of the scientific community, and its social, cultural, and scientific impact. 

The selection process is comparative, and we would be delighted to welcome the best candidates and projects that can grow and contribute to the development of the doctoral research community. 

For details on how to apply, links to the application and other important information, please visit the website: here. Contact: phd.design@unibz.it.