Page Summary:

General Presentation

Our consortium involves the mathematics departments of seven European universities:

and three non-European institutions:

Below we briefly introduce every Consortium member

University of Bordeaux

University of Bordeaux (UBx) Ranked among the top universities in France for the quality of its academic courses and research, the University of Bordeaux is a multidisciplinary, research-focused, international institution.

Campus of Excellence since 2011, the University of Bordeaux develops innovative training, research and knowledge transfer programs in numerous fields of excellence and in partnership with other educational institutes in Bordeaux.

The University welcomes 53, 000 students, of which almost 2, 000 are PhD students and 6, 200 are international students. Around 5, 600 staff members are employed by the university, of which 4, 000 are academic and research staff.

Its Study programs are organized around four major scientific domains:

Its Research is organized around three departments:

Eight doctoral schools ensure support and guidance for PhD students. The research departments group together 70 research laboratories that are under joint supervision with national research organizations (CNRS, Inserm, INRA, INRIA etc.).

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University of Duisburg-Essen

The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) is located in the European region with the highest density of institutions of higher learning. Created in 2003 by the merger of the universities of Duisburg and Essen, the UDE is the youngest university in North Rhine-Westphalia and one of the ten largest universities in Germany (over 40,000 enrolled students; 4,400 academic and non-academic staff). Both campuses are easy to reach and offer the students a broad academic spectrum with an international orientation - ranging from the humanities and social sciences to economics and the engineering and natural sciences, including medicine. The Faculty of Mathematics is located in Essen. In many disciplines the UDE ranks amongst the TOP 10 of German research universities. The UDE is linked to over 250 Higher Education Institutions within the Erasmus scholarship program and 100 institutions outside of Erasmus worldwide. 5,000 international students from 130 countries are currently enrolled at the UDE. UDE takes pride in having established long-standing cooperations with European and non- European partner Universities, which have resulted in successful Double Degree Programmes. UDE is one of the leaders in the field of Algebraic Geometry and Number Theory in Germany. There are currently 8 Professors working in this area: Massimo Bertolini, Ulrich Görtz, Daniel Greb, Georg Hein, Jochen Heinloth, Jan Kohlhaase, Marc Levine and Vytautas Paškūnas. There is a lot of interaction between these research groups, and altogether they are known as Essen Seminar for Algebraic Geometry and Arithmetic (ESAGA) http://www.esaga.uni-due.de. There are currently 14 Postdocs and 12 PhD students from 11 different countries, all actively participating in ESAGA. A large number of advanced courses and seminars is offered. The research activities are partly funded by the DFG, in the form of a collaborative research centre jointly with Bonn and Mainz, SFB/TR 45 "Periods, moduli spaces and arithmetic of algebraic varieties" (e2 Million p.a.). This enables ESAGA to invite visiting scholars and fund summer schools and conferences. Altogether, UDE provides a dynamic, international, stimulating research environment - an ideal place of learning for ambitious Master students.

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Leiden University

Universiteit Leiden is a comprehensive and research-intensive university, which was founded in 1575. Its guiding principles are: international orientation; research-intensive education; and maintenance of the high quality of education and research. Leiden University is taking part in two Erasmus Mundus programs, and has been cooperating in the Erasmus program since the beginning of the 1980’s, currently receiving about 300 students a year and sending out over 120. Besides the Erasmus program, Leiden University receives another 175 incoming exchange students from abroad on various exchange programs, and sends out some 400 Dutch students. In its degree programs (bachelor and master) Leiden annually welcomes 1100 international students.

The Mathematical Institute of Leiden University has about 140 students (bachelor and master), about 25 doctorate students, and about 25 researchers. It has been a founding partner in the Erasmus Mundus Master Course ALGANT, and is the coordinator of the FP6 Research and Training Network “Galois Theory and Explicit Methods”. It cooperates with the other mathematical institutes in the Netherlands on the MSc level (see Mastermath) as well as the doctorate level (joint activities in the national research clusters, research schools, research and conference centre). Within the Netherlands, it has the largest research group in Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory.

Within the main focus of the project on the areas of Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory, each of which is well represented, Leiden provides special expertise in computational number theory and algebraic geometry, modular forms, Galois representations and cohomology, Arakelov Theory, Diophantine equations. Applications to data security are covered via a collaboration with the cryptology group of the CWI in Amsterdam. Some researchers there have part-time positions at the Mathematical Institute and can supervise doctoral students. The CWI itself is a research institute that does not award degrees.

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University of Milano

The Universita degli Studi di Milano (USM) offers a multidisciplinary educational program, which focuses primarily on four areas: the legal, political, social and economic area, healthcare, science and scientific technology, and humanities.

USM is composed of 9 faculties that offer 134 curricula, re-designed to address arising socio-economic needs on a regular basis, and of 19 Doctoral Schools and 92 Doctoral Specialization Schools. 1.500 teachers, along with 1.000 researchers and 2.000 early-stage researchers, supported by 2.000 technical and administrative staff contribute to making USM a major European university which trains 65.000 students yearly and pays special attention to professional insertion with over 3.000 internship placements.

The University of Milano is a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), its research being ranked among the best in Italy and Europe thanks to its 20 research departments, its active participation in 37 affiliated research centers funded by private sector and its collaborations with 4 leading national research institutions. USM embraces an international vision of cooperation, shared by the European Commission, and undertakes several activities aiming at cross-academic exchanges, welcoming more than 2.000 foreign students yearly. The University’s international relations sector is composed of the two major areas of Research and Training. The University of Milano participates in most of the activities related to training, mobility and the promotion of culture that have been organized by the European Commission.

USM engages in a number of bilateral and multilateral programs, including 300 LLL cooperation agreements that favour mobility and integrated curricula potentially leading to joint and double degrees, at both master and doctorate levels such as the ECMIMIM Master, an LLP Erasmus integrated master in mathematics in which USM participates. USM's research activities are strongly linked to international community and to professional milieu: among 657 new research projects that began in 2007, 279 were funded by the European Commission whereas 378 have been sponsored by partnership contracts. USM has been coordinating AAG (Arithmetic Algebraic Geometry), a 2.900.000€ FP6 Research Training Network.

In the ALGANT consortium, the University of Milano provides courses, training and research opportunities on a wide range of subjects which are either already intertwined or bound to be combined as the study of algebra and geometry progresses. The “F. Enriques” Department of Mathematics' staff comprises leading specialists in Algebra, Geometry and Number Theory. Milano's role is to ensure the scientific consistency and comprehensiveness of the integrated study program and to foster students’ specific research skills. Based on well-established scientific connections with the partners, the strong involvement of Milano in the current development of Arithmetic Algebraic and Geometry fields, combined with the upcoming Theory of Motives makes it a highly valuable partner in the ALGANT network.

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University of Padova

Università degli Studi di Padova is a founding member of the ALGANT consortium. At the Master level, it provides high level Master courses, taught in English, based on a long teaching and research experience in these fields and integrated with the other partners’ courses. The curriculum is enriched by special courses by visiting scholars. Additional reading courses are provided on demand whenever possible. Staff members act as tutors for all students and as thesis supervisors for second-year students.

Staff members in Padova are active in the following topics: Algebraic Groups group schemes and p-divisible groups, Representation Theory, Quantum Groups, Hopf algebras, Curves and Moduli Problems, Algebraic Analysis and Rings of differential operators, p-adic cohomology theories, Poisson manifolds, Arithmetic Algebraic Geometry and Number Theory (algebraic, analytic, computational).

The University of Padova “promotes the furtherance of culture founded on universal values such as human rights, peace, respect for the environment and international solidarity” (Article 1 of its Statutes, 1995). The international dimension of the University is not only witnessed by many spontaneous activities, such as the countless research co-operation projects individually promoted by the teachers and researchers and such as the teaching offered now to as many as 1.500 regularly enrolled foreign students (about 2% of the total, bachelor and master level), but also by the existence of several active bilateral agreements of a “traditional” type, by the large participation in the European Programs regarding research and education, by co-operation activities with the developing countries, and – last, but not least – by a committed participation in the project activities of the Coimbra Group (i.e. the network of the European historical universities) as well as other excellence networks.

The thirteen Faculties of the University have formulated their teaching strategies according to the Bologna Process, offering over ninety 1st cycle degree courses (Bachelor's level degrees), over eighty 2nd cycle degree courses (Master's level degrees), many specialization degree courses, doctoral courses and schools.

The University of Padova believes in investing in young people to give new impetus to research. Training researchers is one of the main purposes of the university, and this area has recently been organized into 34 schools (each providing more than one doctoral curriculum) and 4 autonomous doctorate courses. The completeness of our training programs and their cultural and inter-disciplinary open-mindedness mean that early-stage researchers benefit from an extremely broad choice of professional opportunities, either in the academic sector, either outside.

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University Paris Sud

Université Paris Sud (Paris XI) is a multidisciplinary institution focusing mainly on Science and Medical Studies. On top of these fields, Law, Economics and Management are also taught at Paris Sud University. Currently, the University has the largest campus in France with 270 hectares. It includes 3 Institutes of Technology, the Engineering Institute and 5 Faculties (Law, Economics and Management, Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, Sports Science).

There are approximately 27.000 students in the University which offers 40 Bachelor programs and 34 Master programs with ECTS and Diploma supplement (10.500 students are registered at the master level and 2.600 at Doctorate level). Over 5.000 international students from 128 countries are currently studying at University Paris-Sud.

The University is one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. In 2008 it was ranked 49 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai).

Research is developed in joint research units in association with national research centers (CNRS, CEA, INSERM, INRIA). The university runs 120 laboratories in which are working 1.300 full time researchers and 1.800 faculty members. Many laboratories have earned an international reputation particularly in mathematics and physics. Professors J-C Yoccoz in 1994, L. Lafforgue in 2002 and W. Werner in 2006 received the Fields Medal. More recently, Prof. A. Fert, won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of giant magnetoresistance (previous Nobel laureates at Paris Sud have been G. De Gennes in 1991 and G. Charpak 1992).

The Department of Mathematics at Paris-Sud is well known all around the world for the excellence of its research activity in all fields of mathematics. For example the permanent academic staff includes several members of the French Academy of Science. It should be emphasized that there are strong interactions between the five teams composing the department. Moreover, students attending the master courses and early-stage researchers are usually of especially high quality; some of them came from the best universities abroad to study in Paris Sud.

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University of Regensburg

Universität Regensburg, founded in 1962, is a modern campus university with about 20,000 students. The campus is located at the southern edge of the historic “World Heritage” city of Regensburg. Originally designed as a regional university, Univesität Regensburg has developed into a renowned international center of teaching and research over the last decades. Universität Regensburg offers a wide range of disciplines with about 230 degree programs. Among its attractive features are a broad spectrum of disciplines, a favorable student-teacher ratio and excellent infrastructure. A lively cultural life has developed on the campus of the university, with more than 20 student theater groups, choirs, and orchestras.

International students will come upon a well organized network that helps them with all formalities that are necessary for application and registration. Our language center offers a full range of preparatory German language courses. The International Office (IO) organizes an orientation program that answers all questions concerning the structure of study programs, daily life, and formalities. The IO will help students in advance with visa regulations, arrival information and accommodation. It also offers several social activities like excursions, and cultural events throughout the semester.

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Chennai Mathematical Institute

The Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) is one of the leading institutions in India for research in Mathematics and Computer Science. A research group in Physics is now being built up. The Institute has about 20 permanent members in its research faculty and approximately 10 non-permanent members at any given time. Since 1998, CMI has also run undergraduate and graduate programs aimed at a select group of talented students. At present, CMI offers BSc Honours courses in Mathematics & Computer Science (integrated) and in Physics, MSc courses in Mathematics, Computer Science and Applications of Mathematics and takes doctorate students in Mathematics and Computer Science. There are about 90 full time students enrolled in CMI across all these programs.

The Institute maintains active links with academic institutions within India and abroad. In particular, CMI has active cooperation agreements with École Normale Supérieure Paris and École Normale Supérieure Cachan in France. A co-tutelle framework agreement for doctorate students is in place with École Normale Supérieure Cachan.

The faculty of the Institute is involved in a number of collaborative research projects, both with academia and industry, including two international projects in Computer Science with institutions in France.

Chennai, the only consortium's HEI located in Asia, has an in-depth knowledge of academic excellence repartition in India and selects India's best students. Moreover, as India education is traditionally very strong and of high level in mathematics, academic exchanges between Chennai and the other members of the consortium shall bring new inputs or perspectives to the way mathematics are taught.

It is anticipated that CMI will eventually be able to deliver joint degrees within the ALGANT program.

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Concordia University et al.

This partner is composed of the Concordia University, Centre de Recherches Mathématiques and Institut des Sciences Mathématiques. Concordia University will be the granting degree institution; however, activities will also take place at CRM and ISM.

The Institut des Sciences Mathématiques (ISM) is a consortium of eight Québec universities for training and collaboration in the mathematical sciences. Two of its main aims are to:

The Centre de Recherches Mathématiques (CRM) is one of the three national institutes in mathematical sciences in Canada. It is financed by the government of Canada, the province of Quebec and several universities in Québec. The main part of its scientific activities lies in its world-renowned thematic programming, its scientific workshops and outreach activities, its 1.500 annual visiting scientists from around the world, and nine laboratories directly involving 170 researchers from twelve major universities in Quebec and Ontario. It collaborates with ISM and the Québec universities to help increase the quality of graduate and postgraduate studies in Québec.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Concordia offers programs of Master of Science and doctorate degree. in Mathematics. One of the areas of study is Number Theory & Computational Algebra, which is precisely the area of the ALGANT program.

Students registered in ALGANT will be able to follow graduate courses in any Montreal university. Through the ISM, the universities coordinate the available courses in algebra and number theory, thus offering a wide spectrum of courses on the subject and allowing all Montreal students registered on that subject to know each other. They will benefit from the Montreal number theory seminar and from the ISM seminar of graduate students. Montreal number theory seminar will put them in contact with all researchers in number theory of the Montreal area. They will also benefit from the scientific activities at CRM: workshops, summer schools, colloquium, etc. They will write a master thesis under the guidance of a professor from one of the Montreal universities.

It is anticipated that Concordia University will eventually be able to deliver joint degrees within the ALGANT program.

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Stellenbosch University and AIMS

Universiteit Stellenbosch is a medium-sized, research-focused institution. There are ten faculties at the university representing Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Education, AgriSciences, Law, Theology, Economics and Management Sciences, Engineering, Health Sciences and Military Science. The mission of Stellenbosch University is to create and sustain an environment within which knowledge can be generated, shared, and applied to the benefit of the community.

An essential part of this mission is underpinned by the research activities of the university. Research output at Stellenbosch University enriches the body of knowledge, it informs the content of the curriculum and it provides the scientific basis for novel applications and services that benefit the wider community.

Research output also contributes towards supporting the university’s vision by striving towards being an academic institution of excellence, by contributing towards the building of the scientific, technological, and intellectual capacity of Africa and by being an active role-player in the development of the South African society. In 2008, there were 24.686 students enrolled at SU. 16.259 were Bachelor’s students. The research community at the university comprised of 8.427 postgraduate students (Honours and Postgraduate Diploma candidates are included in this total); 4.379 were Master’s students and 828 Doctoral, 120 post-doctoral fellows, and a body of 800 academics. SU’s research excellence is reflected in its hosting of 3 DST/NRF Centers of Excellence, 9 SARChI Research Chairs (SA Research Chairs Initiative) and 1 SANERI (SA National Energy Research Institute) Research Chair, as well as 245 NRF rated researchers in 2008. The formal academic output in the form of accredited publications for 2008 was 2.1 per staff member, the highest research output per capita in the country.

SU is ranked second in Africa. In 2008, there were 2.650 international students representing 92 countries enrolled at the university. SU has cooperation agreements with various institutions in more than 15 countries representing Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

The role of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at SU is to be a partner in the training of Masters degree students as part of a joint degree program in Algebra number theory and Geometry with the students involved spending one year at Stellenbosch University and at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences and the second year at one of the partner institutions. The precise description of the project is outlined in the cooperation agreement between the partner universities. The fields represented for this project include Algebra, Algebraic Number Theory, Arithmetic Geometry, Computational Algebra and Geometry, Analysis of Algorithms.

It is anticipated that Stellenbosch University will eventually be able to deliver joint degrees within the ALGANT program.

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