Discover 7 opportunities in math

The infamous opening ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) was held today in Seoul, South Korea where Maryam Mirzakhani was awarded the Fields Medal, the most prestigious and honorable prize in the vast field of mathematics. Mirzakhani, an admired professor from the Departments of Mathematics at Stanford University in California, is the first female winner of the distinguished award that was established in 1936.

It's early to start planning for the summer – but if you want to make the most of your time as a student, you need to look ahead! If you have time off between semesters in your undergraduate or masters degree, you can use that time to attend a summer school. These residential courses typically run from between one week and three weeks, and involve teaching on specialist topics, and group workshops too. Plus, they are are great opportunity to network with fellow students and researchers in your field.

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.

In previous posts we’ve offered lists of top blogs in the fields of economics and finance. In this post we’re shifting our focus to the broad world of mathematics. As with economics and finance, mathematics encompasses quite a diverse array of subdisciplines, meaning that this list of blogs gathers together a range of perspectives, experiences and areas of expertise. Whether you’re interested in gaining teaching tips for algebra or discussing the latest publications in top mathematics journals, these bloggers cover it all. This is by no means an exhaustive list, however, and we encourage you to add your own suggestions or ideas in the comments section here or on Facebook. The blogs listed here are shown in alphabetical order, meaning they are not ranked or grouped in any other way.

In previous posts we’ve offered you lists of Top Political Science Departments Worldwide and Top Economics Departments in Spain, Latin America and Europe. In this post, we’re shifting our focus from the social sciences to highlight the best math departments around the globe.