The growing complexity of the activities of private and public companies and organizations requires adequate knowledge of quantitative tools for data analysis and the development of mathematical models and computational methods to support decision-making processes.
The PhD Programme in "Analytics for Economics and Management (AEM)" was established at the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Brescia, starting with the XXXIII cycle. Its goal is to offer doctoral students a multidisciplinary quantitative education that ensures both advanced methodological preparation and mastery of mathematical, statistical, and computational tools applicable to the study of, for example, economics, finance, logistics, energy markets, sustainability, and sport.
To this end, the AEM PhD Programme includes the following macro-areas:
1)Models and Methods for Economics and Finance
2) Operations Research
3) Statistics and Data Science.
The "Models and Methods for Economics and Finance" macro-area includes three sub-areas:
1.1) Economics
1.2) Empirical Models in Finance
1.3) Methods and Models for Finance, Energy Markets, and the Environment.
These research areas are described in detail on the University website dedicated to the AEM PhD Programme (see https://aem.unibs.it/home).
The AEM PhD Programme offers a wide range of training on the webpage https://corsi.unibs.it/en/phd-aem/courses-seminars on the University website.
All courses are taught in English and include a final exam. These courses are specifically designed for PhD students and are distinct from the first- and second-level courses offered respectively in the Bachelor's and Master's programs offered by the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Brescia.
During the first year, each PhD student must identify their supervisor and the research area in which they intend to develop their thesis project.
The first year is primarily dedicated to teaching, which is structured to ensure a balance between more general knowledge and the highly specific topics required for the development of the research project.
Specifically, each doctoral student must take four mandatory courses: "Analytical Methods for Economics and Finance," "Linear Programming," "Statistical Inference and Probability," and "Quantitative Microeconomics." These mandatory courses are taught through lectures, for a total of 24 hours each. Attendance at these courses is certified by collecting the doctoral students' signatures. The objectives of the mandatory courses are to enable each doctoral student to fill any initial training gaps in the main areas of the AEM PhD Programme and to acquire basic multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge.
Additionally, based on their research interests, the doctoral student must take at least four core courses, chosen with the support of their supervisor, within the main areas indicated above, in order to specialize their skills and prepare them for their doctoral thesis. Please note that, although the AEM PhD Programme offers a large number of core courses within the macro-areas, these are taught only if selected by the PhD students. At the discretion of the professor, these courses may be organized through lectures and/or innovative teaching methodologies based on personalized study paths, office hours, projects, and presentations. These methods allow PhD students to develop dissemination and communication skills that are also useful for their research.
The mandatory courses and selected area courses must be listed in the training and research project submitted by each PhD student at the beginning of the first year of the AEM PhD Programme. This ensures that the professors who teach the area courses are informed of their availability. The programs and exam procedures for all courses, both mandatory and core, are described in specific syllabi published on the University website of the PhD program: https://corsi.unibs.it/en/phd-aem/courses-seminars
The second and third years of the AEM PhD Programme are dedicated to research on specific topics related to the student's chosen research area, which may be conducted in collaboration with international researchers.
Specifically, during these two years, students are invited to spend research periods abroad at foreign universities or research centers, not only to deepen their scientific and theoretical/applicative knowledge required for their research, but also to gain cultural and personal development. The third year concludes with the preparation of the doctoral thesis, which must be based on the development of an original research program relevant to the advancement of knowledge in the chosen area.
To complete their training, each student can attend numerous research seminars held at the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Brescia by internationally renowned Italian and foreign scholars. First-year PhD students are required to attend seminars led by researchers on topics relevant to the areas listed above, specifically invited by members of the PhD Board of Professors. The list of seminars relevant to the PhD Programme in AEM is published on the dedicated page https://corsi.unibs.it/en/phd-aem/courses-seminars
Furthermore, PhD students have the opportunity to attend cross-disciplinary courses organized at the University level on English language skills, IT skills, research management and knowledge of European and international research systems, the valorization and dissemination of results, intellectual property and open access to research data and products, and the fundamental principles of ethics, gender equality, and integrity.
Additionally, doctoral students are invited to participate and, where possible, present the results of their research at workshops, summer/winter schools, and national and international conferences 4 as well as during the annual meetings organized by the members of the PhD Board of Professors. Please note that participation and presentation at conferences, along with thesis and publications, allow doctoral students to acquire the soft skills necessary for successful integration into the academic world and the workplace.
Finally, it is specified that the research activities carried out by doctoral students are aligned with several missions of the PNRR, including the following topics: "Digitalization, innovation, and competitiveness of the production system"; "Tourism and culture 4.0"; "Sustainable agriculture and circular economy"; "Renewable energy, hydrogen, networks, and sustainable mobility"; and "Intermodality and integrated logistics."
The PhD programme strongly promotes international training by enabling doctoral candidates to undertake research periods abroad and to establish collaborations with internationally renowned scholars affiliated with prestigious foreign institutions: PhD Programme internationalization
Some of the research topics addressed by former doctoral candidates, now “Alumni” please see this webpage