Italy: 50 Master Scholarships in Energy and Environmental

Italy: 50 Master Scholarships in Energy and Environmental Management and Economics, Eni Corporate University

Competition announcement
Academic Year 2008-2009

The call for application is published every year at the end of November. You can download the Brochure and the Pre-requisites for the
admission here.

The Eni Corporate University announces a competition for an academic course that leads to a Master’s Degree in Energy and Environmental Management and Economics - MEDEA. The course is organized and managed by the Scuola Enrico Mattei.

The Master is offered to Italian and foreign university graduates that are interested in career paths within firms, authorities and other institutions operating in the energy and environmental sectors. For the Academic Year 2008-2009, the Scuola Enrico Mattei will assign a maximum of 50 scholarships.

Three programs of the MEDEA are offered:

• Energy Industry Economics
• Business Administration in Energy Industry
• Managing Technical Assets in Energy Industry

The program is articulated on three phases, with an increasing degree of specialisation. All profiles consist of preliminary courses,
followed by fundamental courses and by specialisation classes.

The Academic Year runs for ten months, from September 3, 2008 through to June 30, 2009. Full-time attendance is required. Since courses are conducted in Italian and in English, an intensive Italian language course will be held during the summer of 2008. Those who have successfully completed the programme of study will be awarded a Master’s Degree in Energy and Environmental Management and Economics - MEDEA.

REQUIREMENTS
Admission is subject to the following requirements:

• university degree in Italy, or an equivalent academic qualification abroad, in departments of: Business Administration, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering, Geology, Industrial Chemistry, International Law, Physics and Statistics;
• Italian candidates must be under the age of 28 years and non-Italian candidates must be under the age of 32 at the beginning of
  the Master course;
• good knowledge of the English language.

The course, moreover, can be attended also by people autonomously chosen by the Eni Companies.

APPLICATION AND SELECTIONS
The deadline for application is March 31, 2008 for foreign citizens and April 30, 2008 for Italian citizens.

Italian candidates will attend the final selection in San Donato Milanese (MI); non-Italian candidates in Algeri, Almaty, Ankara, Beijing, Brussels, Budapest, Cairo, Lagos, London, Luanda, Madrid, Monaco, Moscow, New York, Sao Paulo, Tripoli, or in other offices of Eni, depending on their nationality.

FEES
Euros 25,000

GRANTS
For successful candidates, the admission to and the enrolment in the School carry no fees. The School offers students a financial contribution for the accommodation and living expenses. Moreover, students are given free training materials and the opportunity to
avail themselves of Eni canteen facilities. Finally, scholarships are provided on the basis of examination results.

Applications must be sent online at:
http://www.enicorporateuniversity.it/scuolamattei

For further information and leaflet please contact the School Secretary at:

Scuola Enrico Mattei, Eni Corporate University, Via S. Salvo, 120097 - San Donato Milanese (MI), Italy.
Tel. (0039) 02.520.57922 or (0039) 02.520.57907; fax (0039) 02.520.37067

http://www.enicorporateuniversity.it/scuolamattei
e-mail: info.scuolamattei@eni.it

Ireland: PhD Studentships in Applied Microeconomics

Ireland: PhD Studentships in Applied Microeconomics, Trinity College Dublin

University of Dublin, Trinity College
PhD Position in Applied Microeconomics
Department of Economics

Job description
This project analyses the impact of recent policy changes on various aspects relating to the agri-food sectors in Ireland and other EU countries focussing in particular on Denmark and the Netherlands. Using the Irish National Farm Survey a micro approach is taken that allows specific research questions relating to: 1) productivity and competitiveness; 2) the changing structure of production systems in terms of farm numbers, the role of economies of scale, specialisation and system switching; and 3) the wider rural community to be addressed. The availability of a comparable survey for Denmark and the Netherlands presents a unique opportunity for the Irish experience to be compared to that of similar regions of Europe facing the same set of constraints but with significantly different sectors in terms of structure, organisation and the role of government supports This study will provide valuable lessons for policy by deepening our understanding of the important issues facing the agri-food sector in Ireland at the micro level and observing how the Irish experience compares to that of similar European regions. The project will also explore alternative uses for land post-decupling focussing in particular on opportunities in relation to organic farming and alternative energy sources drawing on the successes of the Danish experience.

The PhD student will be based at the Department of Economics, Trinity College Dublin. The student will spend some time at the University of Kent in the UK and at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands working with leading economists on farm survey data and project related modelling issues.

Requirements

• MSc degree or equivalent in Economics
• An interest in applied microeconomics in particular agricultural or environmental economics
• Excellent quantitative skills (i.e. econometric modelling).

Conditions of employment
Stipend: €16,000 p.a. plus tuition fees
Duration of the contract: 3 years beginning April 1st, 2008

Additional Information
Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:
Dr. Carol Newman
Phone: +353 1 896 3709
Email: cnewman@tcd.ie

Application
Interested candidates should either post or email their CVs before March 1st to Dr. Carol Newman, Department of Economics, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. Email: cnewman@tcd.ie

Deadline: March 1st, 2008

UK: PhD Studentship in Distributed Computing,

UK: PhD Studentship in Distributed Computing, University of Bristol

PhD Studentship
Social Insect-Inspired Algorithms for Decentralised Control in Distributed Computing
Department of Computer Science

Supervising Institutions: Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol and HP Labs, Bristol

Social insect colonies face similar decision problems to those inherent in large-scale information processing systems such as the internet, grid computing and utility computing centres. These systems are too complex for classical control techniques to be applicable, as global information on the state of the system is impossible to obtain. However, we can draw inspiration from the algorithms employed by social insect colonies. These algorithms work robustly using simple rules of thumb, without centralised control, and achieve or approximate optimality. Hence these algorithms will prove ideal for decentralised optimal control problems such as those encountered in distributed computing.

Recently, a new social-insect behaviour has been examined experimentally, collective nest-site selection during colony emigration. This is a collective decision-making mechanism, that converges on a unique solution while exhibiting a tuneable compromise between the speed and the accuracy of decision-making. The successful applicant will investigate the application of this behaviour to distributed control problems in utility computing centres, with input from HP Labs. It is expected that the student’s research will also lead to developments in algorithm design and statistical decision theory.

The successful candidate will have a high quality first degree(s) in a numerate discipline such as mathematics, physics or computer science. The studentship will be based in the Machine Learning and Biological Computation Group, in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bristol. For more information on the Department and the Group visit www.cs.bris.ac.uk and www.cs.bris.ac.uk/Research/MachineLearning

The studentship is expected to commence in early October 2008, but an immediate start may be possible by negotiation. The studentship will pay tuition fees and a stipend of 12,600 GBP per annum for 3 years. UK citizens and EU-citizens resident in the UK for at least 3 years previously are eligible to apply. Exceptional overseas applicants may also be considered.

Apply by email to Dr James Marshall, enclosing PDF copies of your CV and a covering letter outlining your interest in the project. It is anticipated that interviews with shortlisted candidates will be held within 2 weeks of the application deadline.

For informal discussions contact Dr James Marshall (www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~marshall)

The closing date for applications is 14th March 2008.

Italy: Research Fellowship on Rapid Detection of Sources of Unsolicited Bulk Email (Spam), University of Udine

A research fellowship is available at the Department of Physics of the University of Udine (North-East Italy), with subject: Development of a software platform for a rapid detection of sources of unsolicited bulk email (spam) through the analysis of the flux of queries to public databases.

The fellowship is largely sponsored by an industrial entity operating in the field of systems for detection and blocking of email spam. This research is sponsored with the goal of improving the performance of products, but also of building a tool to perform quantitative analysis on various aspects of the spam distribution mechanism that can turn to be useful for several operators in this area.

Candidates must have the equivalent of an italian specialistic degree in computer science or related area, and:

1. a solid experience in C programming
2. knowledge of Unix/Linux system libraries
3. knowledge of TCP/IP, client/server architectures, DNS
4. knowledge of SQL databases
5. familiarity with development on Unix/Linux platforms
6. enthusiasm and willingness to work in an international setting on a project with possible important outcomes.

More details on the fellowship can be found at:
http://www.fisica.uniud.it/~ercolessi/email/fellowship-feb2008.html

Closing date for applications: 19 February 2008

Norway: PhD Scholarships in Finance at BI

Norway: PhD Scholarships in Finance at BI, The Norwegian School of Management

The Department of Financial Economics BI, The Norwegian School of Management Oslo, Norway

1. Financial Assistance
The Department of Financial Economics has available a number of PhD stipends starting in September 2008. The stipends are for a four year period and offer NOK315,000 per annum (approx. US$55,000) and also cover tuition fees. Each stipend contains a 35 hour per year teaching duty which usually consists of teaching assistant work. Academically excellent students should have a MSc in Finance or closely related subject.

2. Program Structure
The PhD in Finance is taught entirely in English and is structured such that the first year of study covers course work and exams (60 ECTS
credits). The Department of Financial Economics plans to offer the following courses in the 2008/2009 academic year: Asset Pricing Theory, Empirical Asset Pricing, Corporate Finance Theory, Market Microstructure, and Advanced Topics in Finance. In addition, we are a member of the Nordic Finance Network (NFN) (http://project.hkkk.fi/nfn/courses.htm) which coordinates schools in the Nordic area offering PhD courses in finance. Through the network it is possible to visit other schools for a short period in order to undertake courses. We also actively encourage students to take longer periods of study at top class institutions around the world.

3. About the Department of Financial Economics
The Department of Financial Economics is committed to excellence in research. Currently we have thirteen faculty members in research positions. Faculty members have published in, amongst others, the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial
Studies, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Business, and the Journal of Political Economy. Based in publications the department ranks as one of the top finance departments in Europe.

4. Application Procedure
Application forms are available at http://www.bi.no/doctoral . Applicant are required to submit the following: completed application form, description of planned research work, CV, copies of letters of reference, copies of awarded degrees along with grades. Admission to the program is determined after consideration of each candidate’s qualifications. Applications must be submitted by the 28th of March and emailed directly to:

Professor Richard Priestley
Department of Financial Economics
Norwegian School of Management
Nydalseveien 37 N 0484 Oslo
Norway

Email: richard.priestley@bi.no
Phone: +47 46410515

Cyprus: Republic of Cyprus Scholarships

Cyprus: Republic of Cyprus Scholarships for Study at CIIM Business School

CIIM Business School – MBA and MPMS Scholarships provided by the Republic of Cyprus for the academic year 2008-2009

The Republic of Cyprus is offering five (5) full scholarships of 12-months duration to study for the attainment of the Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM) Masetr in Business Administration (MBA) or Master in Public Sector Management Programme (MPSM) for the academic year 2008-2009. Eligible candidates are citizens of Uzbekistan, Gambia, Azerbaijan and Sudan.

Application Procedure
In order to submit an application for scholarship, the applicant must attain an official endorsement by her/his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs completing the Endorsement Form, which must be submitted along with the application form (detailed instructions on the endorsement procedure are included in the endorsement form). The applicants may then submit their applications along with the endorsement form at a Competent Consular Authority of the Republic of Cyprus of their choice.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 30 June 2008.

Application, endorsement forms, as well as information material on the program can be found here:

• MBA/MPSM application.
• Admissions Recommendation form.
• MBA prospectus.
• MPSM prospectus.
• Endorsement form.

For further information or queries you can contact Mr. Marios Siathas of CIIM at:

Tel: +35722462205
Email: marios@ciim.ac.cy

Deadline: 30 June 2008.

Sweden: PhD Positions at The Department

Sweden: PhD Positions at The Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chalmers Technical University

PhD Positions in Parallel Programming and Algorithms for Interprocess Synchronization of Multicore Systems

Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Chalmers Technical University

Application deadline March 11, 2008. Reference nr 2008/34

The Department provides strongly international and dynamic research environments with 76 faculty and 75 PhD
students from about 30 countries. For more information, see www.chalmers.se/cse/EN/

Knowledge of Swedish is not a prerequisite for application. English is our working language for research. Both Swedish and English are used in undergraduate courses. Half of our researchers and PhD students are native Swedes; the rest come from more than 20 different countries.

Applicants must have a very good undergraduate degree in Computing Science or in a related subject with a strong Computing Science component. They must also have a strong, documented interest in doing research. You may even apply if you have not yet completed your degree, but expect to do so by 1 September 2008.

We particularly encourage applicants with interests in:
Parallel Programming and Algorithms for Interprocess Synchronization of Multicore processors, with focus on Lock/wait-free Synchronization,
concurrent data structures.

For more information on this point see the webpages of the group Distributed Computing and Systems http://www.cs.chalmers.se/~dcs/ or contact Philippas Tsigas (tsigas[ at ]cs.chalmers.se).

How to apply
The full application should contain:

1. A letter of application, listing specific research interests
2. A curriculum vitae
3. Copies of degrees and other certificates
4. Copies of relevant work, for example dissertations or articles, that you have authored or co-authored
5. Letters of recommendation from your teachers or employers.
   You MUST include or e-mail Letters of Recommendation: we typically get over 100 apps, and it is simply not feasible for us to request individual letters

The job reference number is: 2008/34. The last date for your full application to arrive is March 11, 2008

Send your application electronically in PDF files or by paper-mail to:
Registrator, Chalmers University of Technology, Se-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden.
Phone: +4631 772 1000, Fax: +4631 772 4922, E-mail: registrator@adm.chalmers.se

You will know the result of your application by 30 May 2008.

For Further Information Regarding graduate education at our department please contact:

i) the Vice Head of Department, Graduate Education: Professor Reiner Hähnle (reiner@chalmers.se)
ii) the Graduate Student Director of the Department, Ass. Professor Jan Jonsson (janjo@chalmers.se)

Union representatives:
SACO Jan Lindér, TCO Marie Wenander, SEKO Ralf Berndtsson All reachable via Chalmers exchange: +46 31 772 10 00

Deadline: March 11, 2008