The Berlin Mathematical School (BMS) was again successful in the German Excellence Initiative and will receive funding for another five years. The joint commission of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the „Wissenschaftsrat“ announced their decision on June 15, 2012.

The second funding period of the BMS, a joint graduate school run by the mathematics institutes of TU Berlin, FU Berlin and HU Berlin, will run until October 2017. After that the BMS will be funded as a permanent institution by the three host universities.

„We are very happy about this decision and view it as a confirmation of what we have accomplished: The Berlin Mathematical School will get continued support and we will have further opportunities for development. We will be able to compete even better for top international students and will specifically extend the international component of our program“, says FU professor Konrad Polthier, chairman of the BMS, in a first statement. Chairman-elect John M. Sullivan, professor at TU Berlin adds: „The efforts we have put into the BMS over the past six years were acknowledged today. The BMS has gained worldwide renown as an excellent place for promising young mathematicians to do their graduate studies.“ Jürg Kramer, professor at HU Berlin and BMS co-chair, agrees: „It has been be very exciting to watch the BMS grow over the past six years. We are greatly looking forward to pursuing our future goals with the support from the Excellence Initiative, while providing our doctoral students with a first-class academic home.“

Founded in 2006, the BMS reached its full size of over 170 students by 2011 and has produced more than 50 graduates. BMS Alumni work as postdocs all over the world: in Berkeley, Paris, Boston, Stockholm, Princeton and Zurich. From 2006 to 2012 the Excellence Initiative provided the BMS with roughly 5.8 million euros.

The BMS offers a structured program taught in English that leads students with a bachelor“s degree to the dissertation within four to five years. It is designed for outstanding candidates from around the globe. Its goal to recruit 50 percent of its students from abroad has already been achieved. Currently, 30 percent of the students are women; in the long run, the BMS aims to reach equal representation of men and women.

Plans for the second funding period include coordinated research stays abroad, especially for German students. To that end, strategic co-operation agreements have been signed with selected universities (Warwick, Zurich); further are to follow. In addition, the postdoctoral program will be extended so that BMS students can profit from an even greater variety of specialized courses.

For further information please visit: www.math-berlin.de

For further information please contact:
Prof. Dr. John M. Sullivan, TU Berlin, BMS chairman-elect, phone:
030 / 314 – 29279, E-mail: john.m.sullivan@tu-berlin.de,
Prof. Dr. Konrad Polthier, FU Berlin, BMS chairman, phone:
030 / 838 -75871, E-mail: Konrad.Polthier@fu-berlin.de,
Prof. Dr. Jürg Kramer, HU Berlin, BMS deputy chairman, phone:
030 / 2093 – 5842, E-mail: kramer@mathematik.hu-berlin.de

Universität

Kontakt:
TU Berlin, Stabsstelle Presse, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit und Alumni
Stefanie Terp
Straße des 17. Juni 135
10623 Berlin
030/314-23922
pressestelle@tu-berlin.de
http://www.tu-berlin.de

Pressekontakt:
Berlin Mathematical School
Prof. Dr. John M. Sullivan
Straße des 17. Juni 136
10623 Berlin
030/314-29279
john.m.sullivan@tu-berlin.de
http://www.math-berlin.de