Program Overview

Introduction to the Transversal Skills Program for PhD Students

The Transversal Skills Program for PhD Students is designed to strengthen PhD students' transversal skills, which are crucial for their future careers. During the doctoral path, a PhD student learns how to perform original, innovative, and independent research in a specific scientific domain, acquiring expertise and knowledge that allow him/her to become an international expert in his/her research topic.

Program Description

The program aims to enhance advanced transferable skills such as public speaking for research, research project management, exploitation of research results, academic leadership, and inter-disciplinary partnership. Classes, laboratories, and workshops are organized to achieve this goal.

Target Audience

The program is organized for PhD students of the 39th, 40th, and 41st cycles. The target audience for each course will be specified in the course page.

Registration and Course Selection

PhD students need to register for the courses, and registration for the 2025/2026 academic year will open on Tuesday, the 2nd of December 2025. Students will be informed via email about the registration opening and will have to select courses they are interested in.

Course Management and Certification

Each course is managed and offered by the General Administration of the University of Bologna. At the end of the course, students who attend 70% of the entire course and pass the final test will receive an email about how to get the Open Badge. All these courses will be certified in the student curriculum.

Course Catalogue

The course catalogue is available, and students can discover the various courses offered by the program.

Program Benefits

The Transversal Skills Program for PhD Students provides students with the opportunity to acquire cross-cutting expertise and abilities that have a general value beyond a specific scientific field. These skills are greatly valued across different jobs and life situations, not only in academia but also in companies and public administration. The program believes that such abilities are crucial for the future of PhD students.