PhD Programme in Legal Sciences

The PhD Programme in Legal Sciences was established in 2012 with the aim of serving as a research forum open to all areas of legal scholarship.

The current programme builds on the legacy of prestigious previous doctoral programmes:

• from the 1st cycle (academic year 1984–1985), the University of Pisa has been the administrative home of the Doctorate in Private Law, founded by Lina Bigliazzi Geri;
• from the 2nd cycle, the Doctorate in Agricultural Law, established by Antonio Carrozza;
• from the 7th cycle, the PhD programme in Constitutional Justice, created by Alessandro Pizzorusso;
• from the 12th cycle, the PhD programme in Public Law of Economics and Business, established by Mario Giusti.

Owing to the deep-rooted history of these sector-specific doctoral programmes within the current Department of Law at the University of Pisa, the programme now boasts a large number of alumni who have distinguished themselves as legal professionals and in the public administration.

The training of PhD students is based on three pillars: educational activities, the active participation of PhD students in the educational projects of the programme, and a mandatory 3-month research period abroad.

So as to best achieve these objectives, the PhD programme is divided into four curricula; these both maintain an interdisciplinary approach and emphasise specialisation in the PhD students’ educational paths. The curricula are as follows:

• Administration, Market, and Criminal Justice;
• Private Law and Comparative Private Law, Labor Law, and European Legal Tradition;
• Business, International Law, European Union Law, and Civil Procedure;
• Theory of Fundamental Rights, Constitutional Justice, Comparative Law, and Law and Religion.

Each year, each curricula offers educational teaching consisting of lectures—organised around one or more general themes (see below for the 41st cycle)—seminars, and conferences. PhD students are engaged both through Q&A sessions, held after each lecture and seminar, and through presentations or papers at seminars or conferences, designed to develop their public speaking skills. Furthermore, each curriculum fosters and monitors the research carried out by PhD students’ through meetings and opportunities for discussion; the latter involve faculty members of the PhD board and PhD students regarding the progress of their dissertation work.

The PhD programme also includes cross-disciplinary educational activities: inaugural lectures marking the start of the academic year (between November and December of each year), courses on legal research methodology, and conferences.

In addition to the activities offered by each curriculum and by the PhD board, the University organises activities at the central level for all PhD students, which focus on foreign language skills (academic English speaking and academic English writing), public speaking, social awareness in research (responsible research and innovation), and the use of open-source technologies.

The knowledge and skills acquired during the programme are fundamental for PhD students wishing to pursue research careers at universities and other research institutions. Students also develop skills applicable to legal professions (such as law and notarial practice), positions within the judiciary and public and private sector management.

The ability to identify and solve highly complex legal problems ensures the high quality of the legal work carried out by PhD graduates and their ability to provide high-level consultancy services within public institutions at national and local levels, as well as in the private sector, for example within businesses, commercial companies and third-sector organisations. Furthermore, the international and interdisciplinary nature of the PhD programme facilitates entry into international, supranational, and European organisations.

The specialisation offered by the training programmes developed within the various curricula allows students to pursue their personal interests and develop their strengths. This enables them to choose a postdoctoral career path with confidence and a high likelihood of success.

The programme promotes the internationalisation of PhD students by providing them with high-quality experiences abroad. It also encourages the establishment of joint supervision arrangements for doctoral dissertations (for both incoming and outgoing students) and agreements with foreign universities. An agreement has recently been signed with Hunan University in the People’s Republic of China.

Joint supervision arrangements currently in place include outgoing students at Carlos III University of Madrid, the University of Barcelona, Maastricht University, the University of Seville, the University of Montpellier and the Federal University of Ceará (Brazil), and incoming students at the Federal University of Pernambuco and the Catholic University of Pernambuco (Brazil).

The involvement of foreign academic scholars in PhD students’ research is encouraged through participation in final thesis defences and the award of Doctor Europaeus qualifications.

From the 41st cycle onwards, internationalisation will be strengthened through participation in competitive European calls for proposals aimed at developing networks of PhD students based at various European universities.

Foreign PhD students can also access the programme through admission as supernumerary students, as set out in Article 11 of the University Regulations for PhD programmes.