Science centers for masters worth knowing about

Summary

Admission to a master’s or graduate program takes a lot of time, especially searching and collecting information about the opportunities that we can take advantage of.

Description

Admission to a master’s or graduate program takes a lot of time, especially searching and collecting information about the opportunities that we can take advantage of. Systematizing everything, someone makes bookmarks, someone makes lists, but we like to make Excel sheets where you can indicate the name of the university, country, admission requirements, deadlines and a link to find everything asap.

Today we will talk about scientific and educational centers united by one ideology. This will make your search a little easier, because you can look at several institutes and areas of study at a time.

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V., MPG

The Max Planck Society for Scientific Research (abbreviated as Max-Planck) is a network of research organizations headquartered in Munich, Germany. The society includes more than 80 institutes and research centers. Max-Planck appeared in 1948 as the successor to the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, an association of research institutes in Germany (according to Wikipedia).

Max-Planck is probably one of the most famous institutes and scientific centers in the world which are located not only in Germany, but also in the USA. Institutes are divided into five large groups by scientific fields: physics and astrophysics, biology and medicine, culture and society, materials and technologies, environment and climate.

The Max Planck Institutes and Research Centers are well funded, providing leading experts in the field, state-of-the-art equipment and other resources essential to a successful career. For example, in addition to focusing on work, they try to take care of their employee’s work-life balance.

Despite the fact that there is no single admission system at the Max Planck Institutes, the packages of documents are approximately the same. You choose a school/direction, look at open vacancies or dates of admission to the program and apply. Due to the good working conditions and prospects of directions, the competition for admission is high. Applying to multiple programs, you can write to professors directly in case there is a vacancy that has not yet been published, or there is an opportunity for an internship with a subsequent placement in the program.

Germany’s Universities of Excellence

Let’s stay in Germany for a while. In 2005, the initiative program “Strategy of Excellence in Science” or Excellence Initiative was invented in Germany. What does it mean? In Germany, almost all universities are state-owned, and therefore there is no Ivy League. In this regard, a project has been developed in which some universities receive additional funding in order to support and deepen scientific research in various fields, with the aim of achieving German scientific excellence in the world.

The funding is temporary, so the list of universities in the program is updated. In 2019, 11 universities won funding:

• Retained their status for the third time (out of three): RWTH Aachen, Berlin University Alliance, Heidelberg University, University of Konstanz, LMU Munich and Technical University of Munich;
• Maintained their status for the second time in a row (out of three): University of Berlin, Dresden University and Tubingen University;
• Received for the second time — Karlsruhe Institute of Technology;
• Received for the first time — University of Bonn, University of Hamburg

The competition for these universities is high, but the conditions for studying and working are excellent, and therefore worth the time spent on preparing documents. The universities present many training programs and various laboratories, leading research staff, advanced equipment, student support centers, good funding for both additional scientific activities and PhD, comfortable dorms and bonuses (discounts, free travel across the region, free language courses, sports activities etc.). Be sure to check out these universities, you will find something interesting for you.

Institutes of Science and Technology

There are a huge number of institutions that contain the name “Science”, “Technology” or “Science and Technology”. Thanks to the TV series “The Big Bang Theory”, as well as scientific achievements, the most famous is MIT — Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Typically, these universities specialize in scientific research in various fields of physics, chemistry, biology, data science, etc. You can search for these universities, for example, in the Nature Index or QS World University Rankings, but we will give a couple of examples that we personally know to one degree or another.

IST Austria was organized in 2009, has 69 laboratories in 11 areas from biology to physics and astronomy. The main idea of ​​the Institute is to give scientists the freedom to act without regard to the political or economic environment. The idea of ​​creating IST Austria belongs to the Austrian physicist Anton Zeilinger, who received the Nobel Prize this year. IST Austria has graduate and postdoc programs, including fast-track, summer school and a one-year internship. They have good scholarships, support for employees with families, dormitories are provided for the first time near the campus, there is a transfer from Vienna to the Institute, collaborations within and with leading scientific centers of the world.

Okinawa IST is a research center on a tropical Japanese island. 82 laboratories in various fields of science, advanced facilities, complete provision of graduate students, relocation support and a personalized study plan. In addition, OIST has an internship program for master and graduate students, recruitment for which takes place twice a year. The training program is conducted in English.

KAIST is a leading teaching and research university in South Korea. The oldest on this list was founded by the government in 1971. Includes several areas of scientific research: physics, chemistry, biology and bioengineering, etc. KAIST is open to international students at all stages of study. There are scientific centers, leading experts, excellent equipment, but in addition, an active social life is provided for students. Various hobby clubs, language courses, comfortable hostels, medical support and cultural activities are available for students.

IIT Genove — Institute of Technology of Italy, located in the suburbs of Genoa. The Institute presents various areas of research from robotics to neuroscience. There are PhD programs, excellent funding, and various technical equipment. They have many external links with the world’s leading universities, due to which there is a high publication activity. Despite the fact that in southern Europe science is not sponsored as heavily as in Germany or Switzerland, the IIT is well equipped.

If you have already looked for a specific country or even a city for admission, look for a university there that will contain words “science” or “technology:. I think that with some chance, the Institute will be promising for training and scientific work.

Russell group

Let’s move to the UK. The Russell group is a self-proclaimed interaction group of 24 British universities, among which you can meet Cambridge, Oxford, the universities of London, Scotland and Ireland. These universities account for ⅔ of UK research grants. They are distinguished by a high level of education, the complexity of admission and the high cost of education.

However, the Russell group provides annual programs, which significantly increases the chances of getting into one of the universities. For international students, they also have scholarships, exchange programs and research fellowships. In addition, you can contact the laboratory you are interested in and find out about scholarship opportunities outside the university. Russell group universities can be an excellent stage in your scientific career if you dream of getting an education and work experience in the UK.

Ivy League

And why not. Despite the promotion and fame of these universities, there is a real chance to get an education there. Or at least take an internship. Ivy League is a group of 8 universities: Brown University, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Yale University, Columbia University, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania. Ivy League universities are among the top best universities in the United States. Universities receive funding from various sources: the state, private investors, corporations, group companies, etc., which allows them to purchase the latest equipment and hire the best teaching staff for their students. They have scholarships for talented students, academic exchange programs, internships and scientific schools. All this makes the Ivy League a tempting place to study and develop a scientific career at any stage from bachelor to professor.

Do not be afraid to apply to different countries, universities, and programs. Try to get where you want to be. Do not be afraid of ratings or the complexity of documents for admission. Try to start preparing in advance so that you have time to improve your application and do what you don’t already have. Good luck!

Author: Alena A. Kozlova

Edited by: Timofei Ryko