UNU, University of Pisa Launch Joint ICT for Sustainable Development PhD Programme

In September 2012, the UNU International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST) opened a new double-degree PhD programme in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Sustainable Development in partnership with the University of Pisa.

This PhD programme, which attracted almost 300 applicants from around the world, was launched in September 2012 with a first cohort of seven students from five countries. In their first semester, the students will take courses on “Environment and Development”, “Climate Change, Energy and Sustainable Development” and “Sustainability Modelling” as well as “Seminars in ICT for Sustainable Development”.

The first semester of this PhD programme will run from 10 September to 23 December 2012 in Macao. In 2013, after a research orientation session in Macao (7–25 January), the students will travel to Pisa for their second semester (4 February to 2 August).

The aim of this programme is to train experts to become future global leaders who have a deep appreciation of the issues of sustainable development and the manner of addressing them using current and future ICT.

Upon graduation, students will be awarded a PhD degree in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) with two distinct diplomas: one from the United Nations University and one from the University of Pisa.