Doctoral Programme in Technology (Computer, Automation, Food and Agricultural, Textile and Paper, Materials and Structures, Polymer and Innovation)

General data

Presentation

The Doctoral Programme in Technology provides doctoral training along the lines of research in the areas of technology at the University of Girona.

The programme as such was begun during the 2006-2007 academic year to meet requirements of the new European Higher Education Area (Royal Decree 56/2005) and to reconvert existing third cycle programmes into, on the one hand, specific masters programmes and, on the other, this doctoral programme.

The Doctoral Programme in Technology has inherited all the experience and development of various doctoral programmes distinguished with Quality Awards granted by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MCD-2003 00659, MCD-2003 00130, MCD-2005 00349). In the 2007-2008 academic year this distinction (MCD2006-00405) was also awarded to the Doctorate in Technology.

The doctoral programme is supported by research groups in technology recognised by the Government of Catalonia through its consolidated research group programme (Reference numbers of the groups: 2005SGR01008, 2005SGR00296, 2005SGR00002, 2005SGR01078, 2005SGR00666, 2005SGR00835, 2005SGR00025, 2005SGR00534, 2005SGR00081, 2005SGR00615)

Objectives

The doctoral or third cycle programme of the Official Postgraduate Programme in Technology aims to provide students with the training they need to develop original research work, or doctoral theses, in a technological field, thereby obtaining the PhD.

The PhD represents the highest level and academic rank of higher education and, at the same time, authorises teaching and research in accordance with current legislation.

Educational objectives:

The doctoral studies of the Official Postgraduate Programme in Technology aim to train researchers in the lines of research in technology at the University of Girona, following these general objectives:

• High quality advanced training.
• The creation and dissemination of new knowledge, both in basic and applied research.
• The stimulation of research along technological lines.

Specific objectives:
These are specific objectives of the doctorate in Technology:

• To facilitate the placement of research trainees in research groups and their participation in competitive research projects.
• To promote the internationalisation of student research activities and facilitate student mobility and participation in training activities at international levels.

Structure

The Doctorate of the Official Postgraduate Programme in Technology is organised around lines of research within which students receive supervised training and develop the research leading to their doctoral theses.

The POP Doctoral Committee assigns each registered student a thesis supervisor working in the designated line of research to oversee student training and give advice about participating in the training activities of the programme:


Official Masters Programmes Courses:

All the masters of the Official Postgraduate Programme in Technology are designed to offer research training and specialisation courses and tracks directly related to the lines of research of the programme.

Currently, these masters are:

1. (*) Erasmus Mundus European Masters in Vision and Robotics (VIBOT)
2. Masters in Food Biotechnology
3. Master's in Industrial Computing, Automatic Control, Computer Science and Systems
4. Masters in Material and Structure Mechanics
5. Joint Masters in Textile, Paper and Graphic Engineering

6. (*) Joint Masters in Environmental Process Control Engineering (International)
7. Joint Masters in Polymers and Biopolymers

(*) These masters courses will be taugh in English

Supervisors will advise doctoral students to register for those masters courses considered essential for research training.


Seminars:

The Official Postgraduate Programme organises seminars given by guest lecturers and international specialists and focused on the research lines of the doctoral programme. These seminars are open to both doctoral and masters students.

Other guided activities:

• Research stays: Supervisors encourage students to complete research stays in national or international centres, thereby exposing them to other ways of organising research and improving their research activity.

• Summer schools and workshops: Students in the doctoral programme can participate in training activities (summer schools, workshops, etc.)organised by national and international Thematic Networks directed by and/or with the participation of researchers teaching in the doctoral programme.

• Conferences and symposiums: Supervisors make sure students actively participate in research forums to promote critical thinking and discussion and to develop the practice of disseminating results.

Management

• Director of the POP and of the doctoral studies: He / She will be appointed by the Rector of the University of Girona, upon the recommendation of the Vice-Rector responsible for graduate studies. He / She must be a full time lecturer with a PhD who teaches in one of the masters of the Postgraduate Official Programme.

Powers:
Coordinating the planning and organisation of the cross disciplinary credits in the POP.
Meeting with and supervising students who are ready to register their doctoral theses.
Coordinating the preparation of the planning report of the programme.
Coordinating the directors of the programme masters relative to aspects of common interest.
Collaborating with the other POP directors under the coordination of the Girona International Graduate School in issues of common interest.
Organising students into the lines of research related to the POP, listing the research lecturers who act as directors of doctoral theses and deciding the maximum number of doctoral students.
Managing the resources allocated to the doctoral programme, in accordance with the Masters Committee.

• Doctoral Committee: The Doctoral Committee is headed by the director of the POP and of the doctoral programme, and comprises a representative from each line of research in the POP.

Powers:
Determining the maximum number of places for each line of research.
Admitting students to the doctoral programme and assigning them to lines of research, on the basis of the requirements established by the programme.
Nominating members of the boards that assess doctoral theses.
Assigning the thesis supervisor.
Sending copies of the doctoral thesis to the board

Membres del Consell de Doctorat:

Director of the program: Joaquim Meléndez

Representantive of  lines of research: research masters staff who support lines of research or whon delegate according to this relation:

• Marc Carreras : Computer Vision and Robotics

• Ramon Fabregat : Network and Agent-based Information

• Joaquim Meléndez : Control Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Modelling, control and data mining in biomedicine

• Joan Antoni Sellarés : Computing, Logic and Programming

• Àngels Pelach : Textile and Paper Engineering

• Fabiola Vilaseca : Polymeric Materials

• Emili Montesinos/ Dolors Parés : Food Technology, Reproduction Biotechnology, Plant Pathology

• Norbert Blanco : Material and Structure Mechanics

• Josep Antoni Martin : Statistics and Data Analysis

• Joaquim de Ciurana : Technological Innovation in Production Systems

Research lines

The doctoral studies of the Postgraduate Programme in Technology bring together the lines of research in this area at the UdG. The lines of research are based on the activity of the research groups and on the training included in the masters that make up the Official Postgraduate Programme in Technology.

Next we will list the research lines and indicate for each one the sub lines and the researchers qualified to direct doctoral theses within this programme, the research groups to which these researchers belong (UdG groups and consolidated groups recognised by the Government of Catalonia) and the masters programmes that provide training leading to these lines:


1. Computer Vision and Robotics

Sub lines:
• Underwater robotics: control and learning architectures
• Medical image analysis
• Underwater image analysis, mobile robotics, mosaicing
• Image analysis, segmentation and description, colour and texture, 3D reconstruction of deformable objects.
• Real-time image processing.
• 3DImaging

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. J. Batlle Grabulosa, Dr. M. Carreras Pérez, Dr. X. Cufí Solé, Dr. J. Freixenet Bosch, Dr. J. Martí Bonmatí, Dr. R. Martí Marly, Dr. R. García Campos, Dr. M. Peracaula Bosch, Dr. P. Ridao Rodríguez, Dr. J. Salvi Mas, Dr. X. Lladó Bardera, Dr. J. Forest Collado, Dr. N. R. Estrela Gracias, Dr. L. Neumann

UdG research group:
Computer Vision and Robotics (VICOROB)

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR01008

Official masters:

Erasmus Mundus European Masters in Vision and Robotics (VIBOT)
Master's in Industrial Computing, Automatic Control, Computer Science and Systems

2. Network and Agent-based Information Systems

Sub lines: -

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. J. Ll. Marzo Lázaro, Dr. R. Fabregat Gesa, Dr. Pere Vilà, Dr. Eusebi Calle, Dr. Teodor Jové, Dr. Josep Lluís de la Rosa (*)

UdG research groups.
Communications and Distributed Systems (BCDS ), GRCT0040
Agents Research Lab (ARLAB) , (GRCT0069)

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR-00296

Master's in Industrial Computing, Automatic Control, Computer Science and Systems


3. Control Engineering and Intelligent Systems

Sub lines:
• Model based fault detection and diagnostics
• Multivariate statistical process control.
• Modelling and control of mechatronic systems.
• Agent-based scheduling distributed systems.
• Agents and multi-agent systems.
• Monitoring power quality in electrical distribution systems.

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Joaquim Amengol, Dr. Joan Colomer, Dr. Sergio Herraiz, Dr. Joaquim Meléndez, Dr. Dídac Busquets, Dr. Ningsu Luo (*), Dr. Josep Vehí (*), Dr. Winston García, Dr. Josep Lluís de la Rosa (*), Dr. Beatriu López

UdG research groups:
Modal Intervals and Control Engineering (MICE, GRCT0040)
Control Engineering and Intelligent Systems (EXIT, GRCT0041)
Agents Research Lab (ARLAB, GRCT0069)

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR-00296
Official masters:

Master's in Industrial Computing, Automatic Control, Computer Science and Systems

Joint Master's in Environmental Process Control Engineering

4. Modelling, control and data mining in biomedicine.

Sub lines:
• Data mining for diagnosis and prognosis. Applications in cancer, obesity and diabetes.
• Modelling and simulation of metabolic systems
• Artificial pancreas: glycemia control in diabetic patients.

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Beatriu López, Dr. Josep Vehí (*), Dr. Winston García (*), Dr. Carles Pous, Dra. Darine Zambrano

UdG research groups:
Modal Intervals and Control Engineering (MICE, GRCT0040)
Control Engineering and Intelligent Systems (EXIT, GRCT0041)

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR-00296
Official masters:
Master's in Industrial Computing, Automatic Control, Computer Science and Systems


5. Computing:

Sub lines:
• Realistic image display
• Light transport simulation
• Display and analysis of medical data
• Stochastic and information theory techniques for computer graphics, images and games
• Computational geometry

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Xavier Pueyo, Dr. Ignacio Martín, Dr. Inmaculada Boada, Dr. Miquel Feixes, Dr. Mateu Sbert, Dr. Francisco Castro, Dr. Joan Antoni Sellarès, Dr. Céline Loscos, Dr. Gustavo Patow.

UdG research group:
Laboratory og Graphs and Image GRCT0081

Group of Geometry and Graphs GRCT0082

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR00002

Official masters:
Master's in Industrial Computing, Automatic Control, Computer Science and Systems

6. Textile and Paper Engineering

Sub lines:
• Paper technology
• Recycling and de-inking of recovered paper
• Preparation of ligno-cellulosic fibres from crop and forest residues for paper production
• Paper and cardboard for food processing and packaging

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Pere Mutjé (*), Dr. Maria Àngels Pèlach, Dr. Xavier Llauró, Dr. Josep Puig

UdG research group:
LEPAMAP (GRCT76)

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR01078

Official masters:
Joint Masters in Textile, Paper and Graphic Engineering


7. Polymeric materials

Sub lines:
• Obtaining various formulations of plastics and bioplastics.
• Development of composite materials reinforced with loads and natural fibres.
• Modification of natural fibres to be used as composite material reinforcement.
• Synthesis and preparation of biomaterials with biomedical applications.
• Obtaining cellulose-based nanocomposites.
• Thermal analysis of materials, thermal degradation of materials, solid-gas reactions

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Pere Mutjé (*), Dr. Fabiola Vilaseca, Dr. Miquel Llop, Dr. José Alberto Méndez, Dr. Pere Roura, Dr. Ángel López

UdG research groups:
LEPAMAP,(GRCT76)
Materials and Thermodynamics Research Group (GRMT)(GRCT29)

Consolidated research groups (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR01078, 2005SGR-00666

Official masters
Joint Masters in Polymers and Biopolymers


8. Food Technology

Sub lines:
• Obtaining functional and nutritional value added ingredients from pig blood from slaughterhouses.
• Development of molecular techniques for the identification and quantification of pathogenic microorganisms, probiotics and genetically modified organisms in food.

• IRTA

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Carmen Carretero, Dr. Dolors Parés, Dr. Maria Pla, Dr. Elena Saguer, Dr. Mònica Toldrà, Dr. Anna Nadal, Dr. Teresa Aymerich, Dr. Margarita Garriga, Dr. Josep Comaposada, Dr. Anna Jofré, Dr. Pere Gou, Dr. Maria Hortòs, Dr. Elena Fulladosa, Dr. José Antonio García-Regueiro, Dr. Massimo Castellari, Dr. Emma Fàbrega, Dr. Maria Font, Dr. Ma. Àngels Oliver, Dr. Xavier Serra

UdG research group: GRCT49

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR00835

Official masters:
Masters in Food Biotechnology


9. Reproduction Biotechnology

Sub lines:
• Factors influencing the sperm quality of breeding boars in breeding and multiplication farms.
• Optimisation of boar ejaculates and of assisted reproduction techniques.
• Boar semen preservation

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Sergi Bonet, Dr. María Dolores Briz, Dr. Elisabeth Pinart, Dra. Sílvia Sancho

UdG research group: GRCT006

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR 00025

Official masters:
Masters in Food Biotechnology


10. Plant Pathology

Sub lines:
• Epidemiology and integrated control of plant diseases.
• Obtaining, characterising and improving microbial pesticides and bio fertilizers
• Development and production of antimicrobial peptides for plant disease control

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Emili Montesinos, Dr. Anna Bonaterra, Dr. Isidre Llorente, Dr. Esther Badosa, Dr. Jesús Manuel Francés, Dr. Concepció Moragrega, Dr. Blanca San Segundo (CRAG-CSIC from Barcelona), Dr. Jordi Cabrefiga, Dr. Lídia Ruz

UdG research group: GRCT46

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR00835

Official masters:
Masters in Food Biotechnology


11. Material and Structure Mechanics

Sub lines:
• Experimentation and simulation with fibre reinforced composites
• Structures with composite materials.
• Numerical and experimental analysis of structures
• Non linear models of the mechanical behaviour of materials
• Advanced earthquake resistant design
• Structural integrity diagnosis in buildings and restoration techniques

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. LluisTorres, Dr. Josep Costa, Dr. Joan Andreu Mayugo, Dr. Nobert Blanco, Dr. Raul Cruz, Dr. Albert Turon, Dr. Josep Vehí (*), Dr. Ningsu Luo (*), Dr. Daniel Trías, Dr. X. Cahis Carola

UdG research group:
AMADE (GRCT64)

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR-00534

Official masters:
Masters in Material and Structure Mechanics


12. Statistics and Data Analysis

Sub lines:
• Analysis of compositional and time-dependent data.
• Statistical treatment of missing data
• Factor analysis and survey data processing.
• Analysis of data with restricted sample space.

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Carles Barceló, Dr. José Antonio Martín, Dr. Vera Pawlowsky, Dr. Glòria Mateu, Dr. Santiago Thió., Dr. Josep Daunis.

UdG research group: GRCT35

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR 00081

Official masters: cross disciplinary


13. Technological Innovation in Production Systems

Sub lines:
• Production and manufacturing process planning
• Characterisation of manufacturing processes
• Modelling information in design and manufacturing processes
• Production management
• Supply chain

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Joaquim de Ciurana, Dr. Maria Lluïsa Garcia-Romeu, Dr. Rodolfo de Castro

UdG research group:
Product, Process and Production Engineering Research Group. GREPP

Consolidated research group (recognised by the Catalan government): 2005SGR00615

Official masters:
Business Innovation and Technology Management, MIEGET

14. Logic and Programming.

Sub lines: -

Research staff / thesis supervisors:
Dr. Mateu Bofill, Dr. Miquel Villaret

UdG research groups:

Consolidated research groups (recognised by the Catalan government):

Official masters:

Master's in Industrial Computing, Automatic Control, Computer Science and Systems


(*) These researchers collaborate in more than one line of research

Thesis

Doctoral theses read in the field of   Technology

Administrative information

Specific admission requirements:
60 ECTS credits of an official masters degree are required, as long as a minimum of 300 ECTS credits, between all undergraduate and graduate studies, have been completed in a university or centre of higher education.

Foreign students without officially recognised degrees can also be admitted to a POP doctorate if they have had their documentation duly validated and have obtained authorisation for admission from the rector of the university.

Admission and registration procedure:
Students who meet these requirements can request admission to a POP doctoral programme by submitting the pertinent documentation to the Graduate School (http://gigs.udg.edu ).

Having reviewed the documentation, the POP Doctoral Committee will announce the admissions decisions and successful candidates will be assigned a line of research and a thesis supervisor.

The Graduate School will inform candidates if they have been accepted and whether or not they can register for academic supervision, for which they will have to pay an annual fee until they present their doctoral theses.

Pre-registration and registration:
Pre-registration: will begin on 1 September and will run until 30 November 2010
Registration, from 2 November to 21 December 2010

Complaints

All complaints and suggestions may be addressed to:
postgrau@udg.edu

A response is guaranteed within 48 hours.

Complaints or suggestions related with daily university life can be addressed to:

Student Information and Advice Centre (CIAE)
informacio@udg.es

PIU (University Information Point)
delpiu.estudiants@udg.edu

Central Office of the Student Council (Butinyanes building)
consell.estudiants@udg.edu

UdG Ombudsperson
sindic@udg.edu

Environmental Office
oficinaverda@udg.es