Training Activities of the Doctoral Program
[This text is a translation from Spanish of the original contents of the official verification report of the program.]
> ACTIVITY 1: Presentation of the PhD Program in Mechatronics Engineering
> ACTIVITY 2: Mobility in Research Centers
> ACTIVITY 6: Technical Update Courses Related to Research Tools
> ACTIVITY 7: Attendance at Conferences
> ACTIVITY 8: Attendance at Doctoral Thesis Defenses
> ACTIVITY 9: Presentation of Research Projects
> ACTIVITY 10: Workshops in Mechatronic Engineering
> ACTIVITY 11: Writing Scientific Texts (in English)
> ACTIVITY 12: Presentation of Results
> ACTIVITY 13: Introduction to Bibliographic Searches and General Information Resources
> ACTIVITY 14: Information Resources for Science and Technology
> ACTIVITY 15: Academic English
ACTIVITY 1: Presentation of the PhD Program in Mechatronics Engineering
Basic Information
- Number of hours: 2
Description
The goal is to introduce new students to all relevant aspects of the PhD Program, including motivation, research lines, organization, timeline, and evaluation process. The summary includes:
- Official Doctoral Teachings: Royal Decree 99/2011.
- Doctoral Regulations of the University of Malaga.
- Program objectives.
- Presentation of research lines by program researchers.
- Supervision commitment document. Presentation of activities and timeline.
- Activity document. Research plan. Monitoring of training and thesis development.
- The Doctoral Thesis.
The activity will be conducted by program researchers, particularly the academic coordinator. Remote access will be provided as much as possible, ensuring interactivity.
Timeline
A basic annual timeline is suggested to avoid scheduling conflicts and to ensure the completion of all activities. Each PhD student will adjust their activities according to their Research Plan and annual offer (three years for full-time students and up to five for part-time students). Activity 12, Presentation of Results, will always align with each student's individual activity plan, particularly those related to mobility in research centers. This activity will not coincide with other activities.
1st Semester:
- Act. 1: Presentation of the PhD Program in Mechatronics Engineering. At the beginning of the semester.
- Act. 6: Technical update courses related to research tools (specific to the program, during the semester).
- Act. 11: Development of scientific texts (in English). Throughout the semester.
- Act. 12: Presentation and Evaluation of Results. At the end of the semester.
2nd Semester:
- Act. 9: Presentation of research projects. At the beginning of the semester.
- Act. 10: Workshops in Mechatronics Engineering.
- Act. 12: Presentation and Evaluation of Results. At the end of the semester.
Throughout the year:
- Act. 2: Mobility in research centers (according to the call and duration).
- Act. 3: Conferences related to the research lines of the PhD Program in Mechatronics Engineering (depending on speaker availability and funding call).
- Act. 4: Seminars related to the research lines of the PhD Program in Mechatronics Engineering (depending on external participants' availability and funding call).
- Act. 5: Short courses related to the research lines of the PhD Program in Mechatronics Engineering (during the first and second semesters).
- Act. 6: Technical update courses related to research tools (external to the university, according to company offerings).
- Act. 7: Attendance at conferences.
- Act. 8: Attendance at doctoral thesis defenses.
1st Semester:
- Act. 1
- Act. 6, Act. 11
- Act. 12
2nd Semester:
- Act. 9
- Act. 10
- Act. 12
- Act. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Act. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Cross-cutting activities offered by the training services of the PDI of the University of Malaga, depending on the service's schedule:
- Act. 13: Introduction to bibliographic searches and general information resources.
- Act. 14: Information resources for Science and Technology.
- Act. 15: Academic English.
Control Procedure
Attendance is required for the seminar to be considered in the doctoral student's activity document (in any mode: in-person, remote, virtual).
The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Mobility Actions
No specific mobility actions are required for funding this activity.
Considerations for Part-Time PhD Students
Full-time and part-time PhD students must acquire the same competencies; therefore, similar criteria will be established for evaluating their Activity Document (DAD) and executing their Research Plan.
However, considering that part-time students cannot dedicate more than 60% of their time to the program, Royal Decree 99/2011 allows up to five years for part-time students to complete their studies.
Therefore, activity selection will be flexible to:
- Choose activities in any study year.
- Schedule activities compatible with work commitments as much as possible (e.g., prioritizing afternoon schedules).
- Provide access to activities through in-person, synchronous remote, and virtual modes.
- Adapt the Presentation and Evaluation of Results activity to the student's availability, as it is mandatory.
- Ensure equal opportunities for part-time students to complete their doctorate, as much as possible by the Academic Committee.
ACTIVITY 2: Mobility in Research Centers
Basic Information
- Number of Hours: 240
Description
Doctoral students' mobility is an essential training activity aimed at familiarizing students with different research environments and promoting the internationalization of their studies. This activity allows them to interact with other researchers and learn new techniques.
The objective is that, depending on the availability of funds, doctoral students undertake stays at prestigious research centers in other countries, working on topics related to their Doctoral Thesis. The thesis director and, if applicable, the tutor, must submit a detailed report to the Doctoral Program's Academic Committee justifying the suitability of the center, the topic to be developed, the duration, and the financing of the stay. This will enable the committee to evaluate the coherence of the activity with the doctoral student's training profile and the competencies to be acquired.
Funding Sources
- Ministry of Competitiveness Calls: FPI and FPU Scholarships
- Andalusian Regional Government (Junta de Andalucía): Andalusian Plan for Research, Development, and Innovation (PAIDI) 2007-2013
- University of Málaga (UMA): Aid Plan for Doctoral Students
- ERASMUS and similar calls
- Other competitive public and private funding sources
Aid from the UMA Aid Plan for Doctoral Students
- Publication of high-quality contributions
- Thesis defense
- Thesis in collaboration with companies
- Thesis CEI Andalucía Tech
- Thesis defense within three years
- Doctoral International Mention: Stays of up to 3 months
- Co-supervised Thesis: Stays of more than 9 months
Modification of the III Research Plan of the UMA
- Aid to Researchers
- Attendance at Scientific Conferences
- Stays in Quality Research Centers
- Stays of Researchers from Foreign Centers at UMA
- Execution of Pre-competitive Research Projects at UMA
- Bridge Projects at UMA
- Preparation of International Projects
- Creation of Thematic Networks
- Organization of international Workshops at UMA
- Organization of Scientific Congresses
- Preparation of Research Projects in A-TECH
- Aid to Departments
- Scientific Conferences
- Aid to Training Research Staff
- Productive Research Activity of Training Research Staff (PIF)
Control Procedure
After the stay, the doctoral student must present a summary of the work carried out, along with the corresponding reports and a certificate issued by the head of the receiving group. The Academic Committee will evaluate the training activity.
Mobility Actions
The conditions for mobility vary depending on the call, adapting to the characteristics of the doctoral student (full-time or part-time). For example, stays with FPI scholarships must last between 2 and 6 months and can be divided into two periods. FPU scholarships allow stays of 2 to 4 months, or 1 month if the destination is in Spain, with a maximum of three short stays and 9 months of stays in total.
Mobility Destinations
Research groups maintain stable relationships with numerous prestigious international centers, some of which include:
Robotics and Intelligent Control
- Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Pisa, Italy)
- Cornell Robotics, Machines and Organisms Group, Computational Synthesis Lab, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems, University of Plymouth, (UK)
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, (UK)
- School of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Lincoln, (UK)
- Lagadic Group, INRIA Sophia Antipolis, France
- Mobile Robotics and Olfaction Lab (MR&O), Centre for Applied Autonomous Sensor Systems (AASS), Örebro University, Sweden
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Italy
- Department of Systems & Control Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malta
- Dept. of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- ESA-ESTEC: European Space Research and Technology Centre, Noordwijk, the Netherlands
- FADA-CATEC: Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies, Seville, Spain
- Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA
Fluid Mechanics and Intelligent Materials and Structures
- Istituto Motori, C.N.R., Naples, Italy
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Institute, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Research on Non-Equilibrium Phenomena, C.N.R.S., Marseille, France
- Aeronautics Department, Imperial College, London, UK
- University of Manchester, UK
- IRPHE Institute, Marseille, France
- University of Nottingham, UK
- INSEAN Institute, Rome, Italy
- University of Le Havre, France
- University of Göttingen, Germany
- University of Arizona, USA
- Istituto Motori, Naples, Italy
- University of Turin, Italy
- University of Johannesburg, South Africa (contact: Dr. Laurent Dala)
- Imperial College, London, UK
- Rovira i Virgili University
- Polytechnic University of Catalonia
- University of Navarra
Intelligent Electrical and Electronic Systems, High-Performance Computing
- University College Cork (Ireland)
- University of Dresden (Germany)
- University of Brno (Czech Republic)
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Salerno, Italy
- CNM-IMSE CSIC, National Microelectronics Center, Microelectronics Institute of Seville
- University of Loughborough (UK)
- University of Granada
- Polaris Group, Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois, USA
- Cray Inc., Seattle, WA, USA
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, New York, USA
- EPCC (Edinburgh Parallel Computing Center)
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, USA
- Eindhoven University of Technology
- Operations Research and Logistics Group, Wageningen University
ACTIVITY 3: Conferences Related to the Research Lines of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 1
Description
This activity refers to a lecture given by a specialist in the field, lasting approximately one hour. The content of the conferences may provide theoretical and applied training in scientific and technical areas, including methodological training of a transversal nature. The topics will be related to the research lines of the Doctoral Program. Attendance may be mandatory for new students and recommended for the rest, including both specific and transversal topics. Both in-person and remote (via video conference) participation will be accommodated to ensure accessibility and interactivity. The activity should be compatible with other commitments, such as mobility programs, to ensure student access.
Control Procedure
Attendance at mandatory conferences is required. The activity will be recorded in the student's work log. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
Funding for this activity will come from Ministry calls, particularly those related to Excellence mentions, the Andalusian Regional Government, specific Mobility calls like Erasmus, or internal funding from the University of Málaga as outlined in its "Research Aid Plan."
ACTIVITY 4: Seminars Related to the Research Lines of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 4
Description
A seminar is a specialized technical and academic meeting aiming to delve into specific subjects requiring interactivity among specialists. The seminar is an active learning group based on collaboration. Faculty from both Spanish and foreign universities, especially those with stable collaborations, such as the Universities of Dresden (Germany), Brno (Czech Republic), and Wroclaw (Poland), will participate. Seminars are held annually, covering the four research lines and ensuring equal opportunities for students in any line.
Remote access will be facilitated as much as possible while ensuring interactivity.
Control Procedure
To include the seminar in the doctoral student's Activity Record, attendance (in any mode: in-person or remote) and the preparation of a brief summary of the ideas, discussions, and conclusions are required. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
Funding for this activity will come from Ministry calls, particularly those related to Excellence mentions, the Andalusian Regional Government, or internal funding from the University of Málaga as outlined in its current Research Aid Plan.
ACTIVITY 5: Short Courses Related to the Research Lines of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 10
Description
A short course is based on the concept of a master class, focusing on the teaching-learning process. Lasting around 10 hours, it includes scientific-technological training on the program's research lines and related areas. The instructors will be chosen based on the content, including faculty from the university or program and other universities and institutions. Foreign faculty participation is highlighted, particularly from the Universities of Dresden (Germany) and Brno (Czech Republic).
Annual courses include "Modeling of Mechatronic Systems-Introductory Course," taught by Prof. Dr. Ing. Klaus Janschek from the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD), under a collaboration agreement between TUD and the University of Málaga (UMA). Courses will be evenly distributed among the four research lines to ensure equal opportunities for all doctoral students.
Control Procedure
Attendance at 90% of the sessions and preparation of a brief summary of the main ideas and notions are required for inclusion in the Activity Record. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
Funding, especially for participating instructors, will come from national research plans, European Community mobility funds, including ERASMUS or equivalent plans, the Andalusian Regional Government, and internal funding from the University of Málaga as outlined in its Research Aid Plan.
ACTIVITY 6: Technical Update Courses Related to Research Tools
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 4
Description
The short course content will be primarily technical and practical, focusing on essential research tools, especially experimental instruments and specialized software.
Courses include:
"Unmanned Vehicle Aerohydrodynamics Laboratory"
"Parallel Computing Laboratory"
"FPGA Programming Tools"
"Hexrotor Operation Course"
These will be taught by program faculty. Also included are courses by specialized software licensees (e.g., Matlab, Mathematica, Libelium, Gambit, Fluent) addressing new packages, applications, and updates.
Control Procedure
For courses taught by program faculty, attendance at 90% of the sessions and preparation of a summary of the main ideas are required. For courses by external personnel, proof of participation and a brief summary are required. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
Courses taught by program faculty do not require external funding, nor do most Webinar-type remote or virtual courses that only require registration. For those requiring resources associated with invited faculty mobility, funding will come from Ministry calls, the Andalusian Regional Government, or internal funding from the University of Málaga as outlined in its Research Aid Plan.
ACTIVITY 7: Attendance at Conferences
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 24
Description
Attending a national or international conference to present a paper is an integral part of any doctoral student's training. Within this Doctoral Program, priority will be given to key international conferences relevant to each of the four research lines.
Control Procedure
To be considered in the doctoral student's Activity Record, proof of presentation or attendance and a copy of the paper, if applicable, are required. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Mobility Actions
Funding for this activity will come from mobility grants provided by the Andalusian Regional Government, the University of Málaga as outlined in its "Research Aid Plan" for research personnel in training, and the University of Málaga's Doctoral Student Aid Plan.
ACTIVITY 8: Attendance at Doctoral Thesis Defenses
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 2
Description
The objective of this activity is for students to attend doctoral thesis defenses within the Doctoral Program. This is to familiarize them with the protocol of such events, from the public presentation to the defense and discussion, especially for theses within the same research line as the student.
Control Procedure
Students must attend the defenses for it to count as a training activity in their Activity Record and provide a critical summary of the thesis and presentation. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
There are no mobility actions associated.
ACTIVITY 9: Presentation of Research Projects
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 2
Description
Faculty leading research projects will present to students enrolled in the program. The goal is to connect doctoral students with real, ongoing research to help them master both the subject matter and project design, execution, and dissemination. Presentations will cover each research line to ensure equal access to project information for all students.
Control Procedure
Participation will be recorded in each doctoral student's Activity Record. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
Funding will come from Ministry calls, the Andalusian Regional Government, or internal funding from the University of Málaga as outlined in its "Research Aid Plan."
ACTIVITY 10: Workshops in Mechatronic Engineering
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 5
Description
Research teams participating in the program will organize workshops involving similar groups at the national and international levels, presenting key works developed by the participating groups.
Control Procedure
Summaries of the interventions and certificates of attendance will be required. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
Funding will come from Ministry calls, the Andalusian Regional Government, or internal funding from the University of Málaga as outlined in its "Research Aid Plan."
ACTIVITY 11: Writing Scientific Texts (in English)
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 30
Description
This activity develops the necessary skills for writing scientific texts, essential for publishing in prestigious journals. It covers international databases, scientific activity evaluation, bibliometric indicators, quality indicators, information search processes, scientific publication timelines, state-of-the-art establishment, types of scientific texts, and their structures. Given that most relevant publications are in English, this activity is primarily conducted in that language.
Control Procedure
To be considered in the Activity Record, students must pass a test or submit a work. It will be taught by program faculty, who will submit grades to the Academic Committee.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
This activity is conducted entirely by program faculty, so no mobility actions are associated.
ACTIVITY 12: Presentation of Results
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 10
Description
Each student admitted to the program must make a presentation at three stages of their training: at the start, presenting the state of their research problem and project design; in the second year (third year for part-time students), discussing the progress of their research; and at the conclusion, before the public defense of their thesis.
Control Procedure
Participation will be recorded in each student's Activity Record and evaluated annually as per the procedure in Article 16 (Monitoring of Training and Thesis Development) of the University of Málaga's doctoral regulations.
Considerations for Part-Time Doctoral Students
Refer to the guidelines provided in the activity “Presentation of the Doctoral Program in Mechatronic Engineering.”
Mobility Actions
There are no mobility actions associated.
ACTIVITY 13: Introduction to Bibliographic Searches and General Information Resources
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 10
Description
This transversal activity lasts 10 hours. Bibliographic search is fundamental to any researcher’s training, and structured learning is more efficient than self-learning. This activity is conducted in Spanish and recommended for the first year.
Control Procedure
This course will be taught by the Training Service of the University of Málaga, which will issue reports for each student. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Mobility Actions
There are no mobility actions associated.
ACTIVITY 14: Information Resources for Science and Technology
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 10
Description
This transversal activity lasts 10 hours. Bibliographic search is fundamental to any researcher’s training, and structured learning is more efficient than self-learning. This activity is conducted in Spanish and recommended for the first year.
Control Procedure
This course will be taught by the Training Service of the University of Málaga, which will issue reports for each student. The Academic Committee will evaluate the Training Activity.
Mobility Actions
There are no mobility actions associated.
ACTIVITY 15: Academic English
Basic Information
Number of Hours: 100
Description
Complementary training in English is essential for researchers. This activity aims to equip doctoral students with necessary language skills. It is recommended for the first or second year if the student lacks deep knowledge of the language. The activity lasts 100 hours and is available in three modes: in-person (100 hours), semi-in-person (50 hours in-person and 50 hours remote), and online (100 hours remote).
Control Procedure
This course will be taught by the Training Service of the University of Málaga, as part of the strategic development plan (LE3.3: Develop and increase language knowledge, Action A3.3.2: Implementation of free language courses for all university community sectors). The Postgraduate Center will issue reports for each student, and the Academic Committee will evaluate the course.
Mobility Actions
There are no mobility actions associated.
