PhD Call – Two sandwich PhD positions in Plant Pathology and Plant Biology
Ghent University and Quy Nhon University
Ghent University employs more than 8,000 staffs, supporting education and research, management, and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With 11 faculties and more than 80 departments Ghent University offers state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields. Ghent University is a logical choice for students.
Quy Nhon University (QNU) currently has more than 500 academic staffs employed in 3 faculties and 9 academic departments providing 46 bachelor’s, 22 master’s and 3 doctoral programmes in the disciplines of pedagogy, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, engineering and technology, and economics, for nearly 14,000 students. Since QNU’s establishment 45 years ago, the University has obtained major achievements, and holds the 26th place in Vietnam, according to the Ranking Web of Universities (webometrics.info, accessed on 1st October 2022).
1. ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Belgian government is funding in the framework of the IUC partnership an extended collaboration with Quy Nhon University (IUC QNU). This IUC partnership has run from 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2027 (Phase 1) and continue in the next five years (Phase 2) and aims to sustainably boost the livelihoods of farmers and living conditions of residents in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands in Vietnam by enhancing education, research and service delivery capacities in agricultural/food/environmental sciences and renewable energy. These objectives will be achieved through five theme-based sub-projects (SP1-SP5) and two transversal institutional strengthening sub-projects (SP6-SP7) under the coordination of a Project Support Unit (PSU). In this sub-project 3, two PhD positions are funded that aim improving the safety and quality of avocado and durian by effective and sustainable management solutions for pre-harvest factors. The main sustainable development goal of the sub-project is promoting sustainable agricultural production at targeted regions that are linked intimately with enhancing research and educational capacities of the institutional level. The research domain in which the set of activities per domain are proposed plans to strengthen research capacity, an interdisciplinary research group is established to set out activities mainly focusing on integrated management of Phytophthora disease, pollination, appropriate applications of plant growth regulators and biostimulants, creation of adaptable scion/rootstock combinations and sustainable soil nutrient management in durian and avocado production.
2. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
2.1. PhD position in Plant Pathology
Increased demand for durians is driven by their popularity and consumer belief in their healthful properties. Like many crop species, durians are susceptible to oomycete disease. Phytophthora causes long-term contamination of soil and solutions to control the disease using chemicals are considered ineffective and polluting. This means that there is an urgent need to find alternative and more sustainable solutions to produce these fruits. Some Phytophthora pathogens cause root rot, stem rot and fruit rot diseases which are strongly reducing durian production. This research aims to develop methods and strategies to increased disease tolerance and to investigate the Phytophthora species responsible for the crop damage. A suitable and sustainable method to manage the durian disease will be developed.
The successful candidate will have the following profile:
- You hold a Master’s degree in Bioscience Engineering, Agriculture or Biotechnology, Applied Biology.
- You have a keen interest in both plant pathology and molecular biology.
- You have a strong interest in fundamental and applied research.
- You can demonstrate very good academic performance at the MSc and BSc levels.
- You can perform statistical analyses independently.
- You enjoy both labwork and field experiments.
- You seek challenges and have a good capacity for creative problem solving.
- You have a critical mindset and are eager to learn.
- You are a good communicator in English and wish to become a researcher as part an international team.
· Based on our scientific progress and on the specific background/interests of the selected candidate, a detailed PhD research plan will be worked out.
Supervisor: Prof. dr. Monica Höfte
Local co-advisor: dr. Tra Thi Thanh Huynh
2.2. PhD position in Plant Biology
Pollination for durian trees is a critical step in obtaining durian fruits. Flowers need to be cross pollinated to achieve a high fruit set. However, despite the efforts by farmers, in many cases the flowers are poorly pollinated and the resulting fruits are misshapen. To increase yield and fruit quality, pollen quality and fertilization needs to be investigated in detail. Studies show that on some Thai durian varieties, durian flowers fully bloom from 3pm to 6pm, but pollen starts to release from 8pm to midnight, that can cause poor pollination. Another factor that may cause poor pollination is the occurrence of self-incompatibility in durian. This means that some trees cannot be crossed with one another. With this research we aim to study on self- and cross-compatibility of different durian cultivars planted mainly in Central Highlands of Vietnam and of those trees with economic importance in the export markets. Also, the research will collaborate with large durian producers to enhance the opportunities in utilizing research-based products to increase fruit set and quality of durian.
The successful candidate will have the following profile:
- You hold a Master’s degree in Bioscience Engineering, Agriculture, or Biotechnology.
- You have excellent knowledge of plant physiology and molecular biology.
- You have a strong interest in fundamental and applied research.
- You can demonstrate very good academic performance at the MSc and BSc levels.
- You can perform statistical analyses independently.
- You enjoy working with microscopes and like labwork and field experiments.
- You seek challenges and have a good capacity for creative problem solving.
- You have a critical mindset and are eager to learn.
- You are a good communicator in English and wish to become a researcher as part an international team.
· Based on our scientific progress and on the specific background/interests of the selected candidate, a detailed PhD research plan will be worked out.
Supervisor: Prof. dr. Danny Geelen
Local co-advisor: dr. Hai Hong Bui
3. WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- An excellent opportunity to engage into an exciting PhD project that combines microbiology, plant pathology and bioinformatics, in the context of a dynamic, practical and international work environment.
- A sandwich PhD program for the selected PhD candidate with a 22-month scholarship for 4 research stays at Ghent University (Belgium) including a monthly stipend of €1900 and 4 return tickets. The remaining 26 months of the PhD research will be performed at Quy Nhon University (Vietnam). The PhD candidates will have a commitment to work for QNU after graduation.
4. HOW TO APPLY
Please send your application by email by November 30, 2022. Application package includes:
- Your detailed CV,
- a motivation letter,
- electronic versions of your academic records,
- proof of English proficiency,
- recommendation letter from one referee.
Further information on the next phases will be sent on December 15, 2022 to the pre-selected PhD candidates. Feel free to contact us for any question.
Prof. dr. Danny Geelen, email: danny.geelen@ugent.be, phone: +32 479 94 0252;
dr. Hong Hai Bui, email: buihonghai@qnu.edu.vn, phone: +84 983 230 599;
Prof. dr. Monica Höfte, email: monica.hofte@ugent.be, phone: +32 495 74 0934;
dr. Tra T. T. Huynh, email: huynhthithanhtra@qnu.edu.vn, phone: +84 34 4622977.
For more information, please visit our website: iuc.qnu.edu.vn
