ECT* Doctoral Training Programme 2006
March 13 - May 26

Computational Techniques in Strongly Interacting Systems

The ECT* offers an advanced training program for doctoral students specializing in Nuclear Physics in a broad sense. This involves low energy Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Structure, Quantum Chromodynamicsand Hadron Physics, Physics of Matter under Extreme Conditions and Ultra-Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions. Related areas of research include topics in Astrophysics, Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics and Many-Body Theory, Methods of Field Theory, Bose Einstein Condensation, etc.

The ECT*Doctoral Training Program is designed to enable advanced doctoral students to substantially improve their background and research experience, as well as their professional and communicative skills, at an internationally competitive level.

Each year a training session is organized on a theme chosen by the Board of Directors of the Centre. A session lasts typically three months. The students selected for a session stay at ECT* for the entire duration of that session. During their stay at ECT* they find adequate environment to pursue their PhD work, and have access to the excellent researchand computing facilities of the Centre. They attend advanced topical lecture series and participate in the ECT* seminar program where they are asked to present their work. They receive mentoring from the local research group and visiting scientists, and special tutorials are organized when needed. They profit from the ECT* International Workshops which involve the world's leading experts in the field. They have the additional option to broaden their background in related areas, such as many-body theory and topics in condensed matter physics, through contact with the neighbouring Physics Department of the University of Trento and the new Institute on Bose-Einstein Condensation. They have the possibility to develop their skills in advanced computing by getting access to ECT* clusters dedicated to parallel computing, in particular to the newly installed TeraFlop cluster.

The ECT* Doctoral Training Program is a unique, innovative training programme, which promotes the interaction between young researchers and experienced scientists in a way not commonly practiced at most universities. In particular, the lecturers and visiting scientists, who stay at ECT* for a week or more, are more “accessible” to the students than they tend to be at their home institute, where they have to attend many other duties.

It is recognized by students who have participated in previous ECT* training sessions that they offer a unique opportunity to work on one’s PhD thesis, and at the same time to participate in workshops and lecture series.Students acknowledge the chance they are offered of learning from prestigious and highly qualified scientists in topics close to their research interests while at the same time meeting young colleagues with whom they can exchange knowledge and initiate collaborations.