DOCTORAL ACADEMIC STUDIES-SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Doctor of science – Environmental protection science

The primary goal of the Doctoral studies of Sustainable Development and the Environment is preparation of future researchers for the new society, based on the concept of sustainability, which includes synchronizing economic growth and development with interests of the environmental protection. The most important goals of the study program are to stimulate and affirm complex learning and specializing through applied researches, qualified, critical and self-critical thinking and approach for solving problems of environmental protection. Program is based on the high-tech scientific achievements, on synergy in acquiring knowledge primarily in natural but also in social sciences. This concept of the doctoral studies is based as highly professional experience which is acquired primarily through scientific-research projects. In this way, competent and modernly educated scientists are formed, capable of efficient and creative work in the environment field in the four most important applicative aspects of research:

-application of ecoremediation methods for renaturalization of degraded areas, application of green technologies and by that improvement of life quality;

-application of the sustainable development strategies on the local and regional level and in protected areas;

-application of the concept of ecological, economic and energy sustainability and coordination with economic development;

-protection, preservation and improvement of genetic and biologic resources with a special accent on ecologic-economic aspects of valorization and evaluation of natural resources;

The goals of the study program of the Doctoral studies in Sustainable development and the environment are coordinated with modern trends in terms of basic research results from the field of the environment on national, regional and global level in function of sustainable development. One of the most important goals of this study program is to improve education and specialization of scientists, not only in their own fields, but in the capability to identify, lead and incorporate the research about environment into research and development projects, to secure good base in natural ecosystems, ecology and natural resources management. The goal is to develop scientific profiles that are able to work in interdisciplinary programs of environmental protection and sustainable development, including the applied and social science fields.

By going through the study program, a student acquires subject-specific competence for comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the process of ecoremediation, protection, preservation and improvement of natural resources from the sustainable development aspect, capability of solving problems with the application of modern scientific methods and approaches, connection of basic knowledge from different areas and their application, capability of following modern achievements in science and profession.

As specialized and competent experts from the environmental protection field students are becoming capable to apply acquired knowledge and skills in an adequate manner in jobs that they intend to do, and primarily in research work, academic community, socially responsible corporations and industry, local governments, government authorities in managing design, development and application of the programs and projects from the environmental protection and sustainable development fields.

The study program of the Doctoral studies of Sustainable Development and the Environment in duration of three years includes the total of 6 subjects of which there are 2 mandatories on the first year and 4 elective (2 in the first year and 2 in the second year of studies) that are chosen from 17 offered subjects, and then the Research scientific work that is purely study research work in terms of training for doctoral dissertations, as well as making their own doctoral thesis. A student starts scientific research work in the third semester and it lasts until the sixth semester, provided that the student is engaged only in the third year of the study research. The subject of the research work is defined within the scientific-research projects that are realized in the facility.

By introducing mandatory subjects Methodology of science-research work and Analysis and interpretations of experimental results on the first year of studies, students will learn academic and practical skills necessary for planning, execution, interpretation, processing, analysis and presentation of the results of science-research work, which will be useful experience for them in further science-research work.

Active classes include lectures and study research work through which student is learning to approach the creating of doctoral thesis. Doctoral thesis is worth 20 ECTS points. A student can choose any subject from the list of subjects provided that the selected subject contributes to his education for obtaining academic title and conditions for doing job that they have chosen. According to this, in the beginning of doctoral studies, student gets a professor who is involved in execution of a given study program as a counsellor, to guide student and help him in choosing subjects. Counselor doesn’t necessarily need to be student’s mentor in the process of writing doctoral thesis. Average number of classes is 40 classes a week during 3 years of studies.

In terms of the study program, the Doctoral studies in Sustainable Development and the Environment are complete, comprehensive and unified with the master studies on the Faculty of applied ecology “Futura” as well as structurally compatible with the similar study programs of foreign higher education facilities from the European education area:

  1. PhD Program in Sustainable Development – UCD, Dublin, Ireland

http://www.ucd.ie/phdsust/index.html

  1. Environmental Sciences And Policy Ph.D. Program – CEU, Budapest, Hungary
    http://envsci.ceu.hu/phd
  2. PhD Program in Climate Changes and Sustainable Development Policy – Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Portugal https://fenix.ist.utl.pt/cursos/deaacpds/curricular-plan

The study program is compatible with European standards in terms of student admission, study duration, conditions for enrolling in the following year of studies (presented with minimal number of ECTS points), graduating, as well as the manner of studying (creation of flexible profile through the choice of certain subjects from the long list of elective subjects. Finally, this study program of doctoral studies is formally in accordance with set accreditation standards.

Realization of the Doctoral studies of Sustainable Development and the Environment includes 12 teachers in total, of which there are 6 full professors, 1 associate professors, 2 docents, 1 assistant research professor and 2 emeritus professors.

Quality control process is formed from constant monitoring of teaching quality, doctoral thesis quality and the quality of resources needed for successful execution of doctoral studies. Quality of the study program is controlled based on competence of teachers, students’ involvement in the science-research projects, quality of available resources (modernity of equipment, modernity of available literature in libraries and bases), number of science-research projects and publications realized within doctoral studies.

The doctoral education on the Faculty of applied ecology FUTURA will create experts that will be capable of accepting norms of sustainable development and develop skills for professional work in the fields that are focus of sustainable development as well as acquire skills for application of norms of sustainable development in everyday work in other fields. Ultimate goal of the doctoral studies is to create research potential that will be capable to cope with the challenges of global changes and start collaborative researches.