Training at the Doctoral School is uniform. Within the uniform training, the research topics are related to nine doctoral programmes:
1. Applied Ecology Programme, 2. Botany Programme, 3. Evolution and Diversity Biology Programme, 4. Fermentation Biotechnology and Bioengineering Programme, 5. Functional and Restoration Ecology Programme, 6. Hydrobiology Programme, 7. Quantitative and Terrestrial Ecology Programme, 8. Plant Biology and Biotechnology Programme, 9. Biodiversity and Climate Change Doctoral Programme.
Applied Ecology Programme
The condition, protection, and sustainability of our natural, built, and social environment, which is necessary for a high quality of human life, and the enforcement of its rational use are increasingly important social and economic factors today, which is why the teaching and training of environmental science and applied disciplines is a particularly important task of higher education. The doctoral programme focuses on the following key topics: 1. Applied ecology and environmental protection, 2. Applied ecology and nature conservation, 3. Ecotoxicology and ecophysiology, 4. Environmental analytics.
Botany Programme
To continue the long tradition of botanical education at the University of Debrecen and to develop it in line with the opportunities and challenges of our time. We aim to renew the mission of the workshop founded by Rezső Soó, known in Hungary as the "Debrecen School" and of decisive importance in Hungarian botanical research, by taking advantage of technological developments and adapting to international expectations. This will provide talented and interested students with the opportunity to engage in classical botanical research using modern methodologies.
Evolution and Diversity Biology Programme
The general objective of the doctoral programme in Evolutionary and Diversity Biology is to conduct extensive scientific research into the evolution of life and the diversity that arises from this process, and to train professionals and doctoral students capable of conducting such research at a high level. The programme focuses on the following main areas:
1. The physiology of adaptive traits: evolutionary physiological studies;
2. The trade-off between lifespan and reproduction: evolutionary studies of life history;
3. Variability of individual traits: behavioral ecology studies;
4. Systematization and spatiotemporal dynamics of biological diversity;
5. Genetic basis of diversity: population and conservation genetics studies.
Fermentation Biotechnology and Bioengineering Programme
The objective of the Fermentation Biotechnology and Bioengineering Programme is to provide highly qualified professionals for research institutions, service providers, and companies engaged in industrial biotechnology research, development, innovation, and production in the region and the country. We welcome applications from students who aim to acquire up-to-date, fundamentally molecular knowledge in the fields of bioengineering mechanics and operations, as well as microbial physiology and biotechnology. The programme focuses on three main areas: (1) regulation of carbon source degradation in fungi, (2) technical and biological background of organic acid (citric acid, itaconic acid) overproduction in fungi, (3) investigation and characterization of special RNA structures.
Functional and Restoration Ecology Programme
The functional and restoration ecology programme undertakes the discipline-independent, integrated development of knowledge related to the functioning and restoration of biotic communities acquired during gradual training. The programme places particular emphasis on the study of the functioning and restoration of terrestrial and aquatic communities and provides assistance in participating in this research. The programme is based on the work of researchers from the Department of Ecology and, in close collaboration with them, researchers from the Departments of Botany, Hidrobiology, and MTA Centre for Ecological research. The basic approach of the programme is to understand the functioning of natural communities and to examine the possibilities for their restoration, which provides an excellent opportunity for close cooperation with state environmental and nature conservation institutions (the Upper Tisza Region, Tiszántúl and Middle Tisza Region Environmental and Nature Conservation Inspectorates, and the Hortobágy National Park Directorate).
Hydrobiology Programme
Within the framework of the doctoral programme, we are expanding basic and applied research related to the organisms and communities inhabiting the aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats of the Pannonian ecoregion. In the training and education of students participating in the programme, we place particular emphasis on the study of species and communities at the population and community levels, exploring their occurrence patterns, identifying the factors that influence and/or determine them, and interpreting the processes that regulate their structural and functional composition.
The programme is based at the Department of Hydrobiology, including the Department of Applied Hydrobiology in Szolnok, but due to the national scope of the programme, we carry out our educational and training tasks in close cooperation with partner departments (Department of Ecology and Department of Botany) and numerous external research centers (primarily the
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MTA Ecological Research Center). Department of Botany) and numerous external research institutions (primarily the MTA Ecology Research Center; ELTE Department of Microbiology; Department of Biology, University of Oradea) and practical institutions carrying out high-quality professional work (such as BioAqua Pro Kft., Hortobágy National Park Directorate, Middle Tisza Region, and Upper Tisza Region Water Management Directorate).
Quantitative and Terrestrial Ecology Doctoral Programme
The doctoral programme involves modern ecological research, with an emphasis on quantitative analysis, testability, and operability. The programme is based at the Department of Ecology at the University of Debrecen and the MTA-DE Biodiversity Research Group, in close cooperation with partner departments and numerous domestic and foreign research centers and universities. The research is also supported by international LTER (long-term ecological research) projects. The spectrum of research topics is extremely broad, ranging from quantitative ecological analysis of biodiversity monitoring activities with practical applications to community ecological modeling and statistical ecology.
Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology Programme
To continue and develop plant biology and biotechnology research at the University of Debrecen. To cultivate research topics and groups related to modern plant biology that have emerged in recent decades. To provide talented and interested students with the opportunity to engage in plant biology and plant biotechnology research using modern infrastructure and methodology.
Biodiversity and Climate Change Doctoral Programme
The programme has two main goals. First, to understand how biodiversity develops. We approach this question in two different ways. On the one hand, we conduct fieldwork in various ecosystems to understand the selection processes that shape the behavior, ecology, and life cycles of organisms. Our group generally focuses on waterbirds, especially shorebirds (plovers, sandpipers, and related species).
On the other hand, we use phylogenetic analyses to reconstruct past events and examine the historical processes that have shaped biodiversity over time. This work usually focuses on vertebrates, and we use various aspects of reproduction to reconstruct past events, such as parental care, mode of reproduction, or life cycle characteristics.
The second main focus of biodiversity research is nature conservation research and the management of active nature conservation projects using scientific knowledge. We currently have research sites in Hungary, Madagascar, Cape Verde, and South Africa. At these sites, we conduct nature conservation monitoring and plan and implement nature conservation measures to protect endangered species and ecosystems.