Now we're over the hump of winter and looking ahead to sunnier days, the time has come to start considering academic activities for the summer break. Summer schools run by top universities give you the chance to attend lectures and courses conducted by top researchers in your field, to practise skills in small groups or seminars, and to get to know students from other institutions. As well as social activities and the opportunity for travel, you can benefit from making new professional contacts, hearing about the latest research, and building your CV.

The study of financial processes and markets open possibility to an excellent career in a variety of industries and positions. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career, finance is without doubts the perfect decision for you. Finance managers enjoy one of the highest salaries in the job market apart from having the privilege of counting on scholarship opportunities and further career opportunities upon graduation.

Mathematics and Statistics are multidisciplinary sciences which are applicable in different industries and disciplines. From medical studies to research experiments, space projects and social research, a degree in statistics opens a wide range of career opportunities for you.

In previous posts we’ve offered you lists of Top Maths & Stats Departments in Europe. In this post, we’re shifting our focus from the social sciences to highlight the best math departments around the globe.

The study of politics as a social science has a long and rich history, with many great academic institutions offering courses and research in the discipline. Along with International Relations, the ongoing relevance of Political Science is reflected in the high quality of programs of study and research. Many of the best-known politics departments are located in institutions within the United States, but outstanding departments can also be found in other countries including Australia, Singapore, China, and Japan.

Summer schools offer a chance to visit top international universities and get to know their research and academic culture, while learning new skills and spending time with fellow students. Today we're looking at the top schools for Finance and Accounting.

When you're looking for the best institutions for your subject, it's important to consider the standing of not only the institution as a whole, but also the specific department in which you wish to study or research. Although it's a matter of debate what makes the very best academic departments, there are some universally-recognised leaders in each discipline.

With rapid globalisation making relocation to a new country easier, more and more students are choosing to travel abroad to study. If you have already completed an undergraduate degree and feel confident in your knowledge and skills, then a postgraduate course in a foreign country can be a wonderful learning experience. While it's common to move across Europe or to the United States for graduate study, there are also great opportunities for studying further afield in Asia. China is a strong contender in the education sector – with thousands of universities in a booming higher education system – and the government is investing more money into higher education for the future. But why should you consider graduate study in China? Read on to find out.

Summer schools are a great way to learn and network over the holiday time. You can meet fellow students and senior researchers, learn new methodologies or research specific topics, and practice your presentation and debate skills. Plus you get to travel to a new place or even a new country, to enjoy the summertime in a new place. Make the most of your summer by enrolling on a summer school offered by some of the top universities in the world.

The United Kingdom has been recognised for years as one of the most popular destinations for postgraduate education. The international reputation of British education, the diversity of culture and the connections to other European countries have made the UK one of the favorite destinations for students.

Economics topics are an inherent part of our lives. Employment, global competition in world markets, agreements for free trade zones, social and monetary policies affect our lives constantly. The social science of economics attempts to analyze and understand many of those problems. To study economics have the potential to bring you a deep understanding of the world apart from opening a wide range of opportunities in the job market.

Summer courses are a great way to broaden your knowledge, travel around the world and socialize with international students. Attending a Summer School is one of the ways in which you can efficiently combine the development of your knowledge and career with rewarding social activities. What is more, most Summer Schools are located right next to sandy beaches, hiking and cycling hotspots, water sports-friendly lakes and rivers, or cities where there is always something going on.

Finance plays a key role in the health of an overall economy. It helps companies to make investment and financing decisions as well as plan the growth of the business. All business functions are related to financial decisions, rather a big or a small company, they all face decisions about how to fund their projects and to manage their budgets.

If you are from a country within the European Union (EU), Switzerland, Norway, Lichtenstein or Iceland, you will not need a student visa to study in Spain. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the EU or one of the previously mentioned countries, however, you will need to apply for a visa if you plan on staying in Spain for longer than 90 days.

Mathematics and Statistics are becoming more popular among career options thanks to their interdisciplinary nature. A degree in mathematics and statistics can lead you to good positions in different industries: from researching in the pharmaceutical industry to planning public policies and investment portfolios.

Today marked the first day of this year’s American Economic Association (AEA) Annual Meeting. The AEA Meeting is an annual event that brings together some of the superstars of economics in one of the largest economics-focused gatherings in the world. Every year, upwards of 10,000 academics come together for discussions, presentations, and – equally important! - socialising, over a long weekend.

For a student faced with the daunting decision of which university to attend, paying a visit to a university fair can be a great way to get your thoughts in order and discover some of the programs and institutions on offer. These fairs can vary in size from the small to large-scale (such as UniFair in the UK), and can be quite confusing.

“Selfie” was declared a word of the year in 2013 as a result of a seventeen thousand per cent increase in usage. But selfies have, arguably, shifted from being the product of a purely narcissistic act to that of a normalised cultural phenomenon – even celebrities and politicians indulge in the not-so-occasional self-portrait.

Since 2011, the number of Master’s programs across Europe taught entirely in English has increased by 42%. Quite a large number of these programs are in Spain. Thus, if you are applying to a Master’s program in Spain, the language requirements will likely differ depending on the language of instruction – whether it’s a program fully in Spanish, both in Spanish and in English, fully in English or in another language such as Catalan or Basque. We will focus here on English and Spanish, offering information regarding the most common examinations and scores required for both of these languages.

With the end of the year approaching, we feel it’s time to look to the start of next year and start planning which conferences to attend. The number of events available is overwhelming, so following up on our 2014 End of Year Round Up, we decided to draft a list for the start of 2015.