Explore the programs and courses offered by Doctorate in Process Engineering
Browse Programs Admission InformationThe PhD in Process Engineering is a high-level academic program designed to train researchers capable of designing, modeling, optimizing, and innovating within industrial processes. This program is structured around three complementary pillars: chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and pharmaceutical engineering. It prepares doctoral candidates to tackle technological and scientific challenges across various sectors such as energy, environment, natural materials and their use in different water treatment applications, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry.
The adopted approach is based on a solid understanding of physico-chemical phenomena, mastery of simulation and experimental tools, and an openness to innovation and sustainable development.
Below is a general description of the PhD in Process Engineering:
Although the PhD in Process Engineering is primarily focused on scientific research, it also includes a set of foundational cross-disciplinary courses designed to strengthen the methodological, analytical, and technological skills of doctoral candidates. These courses are not intended to revisit undergraduate-level knowledge, but rather to provide essential tools for autonomous, rigorous, and innovative research.
Among these courses are:
• Advanced analytical techniques, essential for material characterization, process monitoring, and environmental analysis.
• Artificial intelligence and data science, applied to process optimization, predictive modeling, and the management of experimental data.
• Information and communication technologies (ICT), including proficiency with digital tools for project management, scientific collaboration, and dissemination of research findings.
• Scientific English, vital for writing publications, participating in international conferences, and integrating into global research networks.
• Scientific programming, focused on data processing, numerical simulations, and the automation of experimental protocols.
• Philosophy of science, for a deeper understanding of the epistemological foundations of research and a critical reflection on scientific practices.
• Didactics and university pedagogy, related to the teaching and knowledge-transfer responsibilities that doctoral candidates may be called upon to fulfill.
These courses, tailored to the doctoral context, aim to support candidates in developing transversal skills that enable them to conduct research effectively, ethically, and in a way that is accessible to the broader scientific community.
The topics covered may include, among others:
• Innovative water treatment processes: hybrid processes, membrane technologies, advanced oxidation, photocatalytic or electrochemical reactors.
• Advanced process modeling and simulation, including CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) approaches or multiphysics modeling using specialized software.
• Process intensification, related to the emergence of micro-reactors, microfluidics, coupled processes, and clean technologies.
• Bioprocesses and biomass valorization, in connection with the circular economy and energy transition (production of biogas, biosurfactants, biofertilizers).
• Complex formulation systems: emulsions, gels, encapsulation, and their application in the pharmaceutical, food, or cosmetic sectors.
• Assisted extraction processes (microwave, ultrasound, supercritical CO₂) for the recovery of high-value compounds such as essential oils or natural active ingredients.
• Sustainable process design, integrating environmental assessment tools such as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and sustainable development approaches.
These subjects enable doctoral candidates to deepen their specialization while remaining open to recent technological advances and evolving industrial and societal needs. They are often addressed through seminars, workshops, elective modules, or exchanges with national and international experts.