PHD

Focus

This programme focuses on producing highly qualified lecturers and researchers in Biometry to train young scholars of African universities in the field of experimental design and biological data analysis and strengthen capacity of African universities and research institutions. 

Goals 

The goals of the doctoral programme are:

1. to train students in the application of appropriate statistical methods for diverse problems in agriculture and environmental sciences, 
2. to provide a solid theoretical foundation for the development and investigation of new statistical methods as response to needs of research institutions and factories, and 
3. produce highly qualified lecturers and researchers in Biometry to train young scholars of African universities in the field of experimental design and biological data analysis and strengthen capacity of African universities and research institutions.

Structure and content

The doctoral programme is structured in six semesters after having a MSc degree.

• During the first semester, doctorate students follow specific courses in the fields of Agronomy and natural resources management. For doctorate students with background in non-agricultural background, doctoral courses are: General Agronomy, Introduction to economy of development, natural resources conservation, Agricultural extension, and research proposal writing. 
• In addition to the formal statistical training, students will have flexibility in choosing elective courses, which can be selected for specialization in specific application area. 
• Doctorate students have opportunity to attend scientific seminars in the field of Biometry and Agronomy, organized by the doctorate school which allow exchanges between students and staff from various schools of the faculty.
• Doctoral students must submit and present at the end of the first semester a dissertation proposal to the student’s dissertation committee members (DCMs) which include a dissertation advisor and at least one other member from the faculty, and at least one of the members from outside the faculty. The proposal must describe the rationale (supported by a due literature review) for the proposed research and outlines its basic components organized in chapters, and a timeline for delivering results. 
• The proposal may be developed in the frame of a research programme, including for example the design of experiments, data collection and mining, and the analysis of the experimental/observational data using existing methods improved or new methods developed to meet particulars needs of the research programme. 
• The dissertation committee serves as the student's advisory and performance assessment committee. The dissertation committee undertakes to monitor the student’s progress throughout the study period on behalf of the doctorate school.*
• Dissertation Defence: The student and the DCMs are required to comply with the doctorate school's guidelines regarding deadlines for graduation and preparation of the dissertation.

Unique character 

• The programme is solely taught in English. It has established a policy to operationalize PhD students’ engagement into consultancies and research activities of applied statistics-based laboratories or departments. 
• PhD students have facilitation to participate to national, regional and international (applied) statistics-based conferences. 
• PhD students are also engaged in course teaching to develop their teaching skills. These measures are made to ensure the improvement of PhD students’ experiences, and to allow them to build a large network with specialists in their fields. 
• The programme offers an unique training in recent statistical methods towards their applications in life sciences. Moreover, it aims to make considerable efforts to incite women enrol themselves. 
• Gender balance is considered during selection process by pre-allocating 40 % for women. Also, during the training, lecturers are assigned to follow up women to encourage them.