The programme is an English-taught, interdisciplinary PhD hosted by Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa. Its latest published call used the title PhD in Human Rights, Global Politics and Sustainability: Legal and Philosophical Perspectives and covered agricultural, food and environmental law, European studies, international law, and political philosophy.
Students conduct full-time research, complete programme training, and prepare for research or specialist work in academia, public bodies, international organisations, and civil society. The latest cycle began on 1 October 2025; applications are currently between cycles.
Benefits & funding
- The latest published call offered five scholarship positions, including two reserved for candidates whose qualifying degree came from a non-Italian university.
- Each award included a €16,243 annual scholarship and a €2,200 annual housing contribution, both inclusive of recipient social-security charges and paid monthly in arrears.
- Students received 26 free canteen meals per month outside holiday periods, a 50% scholarship increase for authorised research abroad, and a research budget of at least 10% of the annual scholarship.
- Enrolment required a €140 regional university-study tax for 2025–26 unless an exemption applied.
Eligibility
- Applicants needed an Italian second-level degree or a non-Italian master’s degree judged equivalent; candidates still studying could apply if they completed the degree by 30 September 2025.
- The call imposed no citizenship restriction and no prior residency requirement.
- Anyone who had already received any instalment of an Italian PhD scholarship was ineligible.
- Admission required full-time, exclusive commitment and a research proposal aligned with the programme’s research areas.
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Application process
- 1Register on Sant’Anna’s Esse3 portal, sign back in, select the PhD programme, and complete the online form.
- 2Upload the required identity document, degree evidence and transcripts, CV, motivation letter, and research project.
- 3Write the research project in English, keep it within 3,000 words excluding the bibliography, and identify its main and complementary research areas.
- 4Submit by the call deadline and retain the confirmation email; shortlisted candidates proceed to a remote interview.
Program timeline
Extended application deadline for the latest published cycle
26 May 2025
Shortlist publication
From 13 June 2025
Remote interviews
30 June 2025
Final ranking publication
By 15 July 2025
Programme started
1 October 2025