Welcome,  The Berlin Mathematical School (BMS), a joint graduate school of the mathematics departments of the three major Berlin universities is starting into its second academic year!
We hope that the following collection of news and information will be of interest. Please feel free to forward this message to anyone interested in mathematics.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Günter M. Ziegler
Berlin Mathematical School Inside BMS Valentina Vulcanov, 25, first came to Berlin as an Erasmus exchange student from Timisoara, Romania – and stayed because of the unique experience she found at the BMS. Valentina shared with us her impressions of the BMS:  “At the moment I am a Ph.D. student at the BMS but I am also learning German at a course offered at the BMS. One thing about the German educational system is the open connection between students and professors, which makes it easy for international students to feel at home at the BMS. After finishing my bachelor exam in Romania I wanted to improve my knowledge in differential geometry and Ricci flow, so I was recommended by my advisor at my hometown university to apply for a student exchange program with the FU Berlin.”
For Valentina, the wide selection of lectures, workshops, and study groups on offer from not just one but three mathematics departments made the BMS a place where she wanted to stay after her time as student on the Erasmus student exchange program.
BMS Special FeatureThe BMS students combine academic achievements with private ones. This October, the BMS team is happy to welcome three new BMS babies.  On October 4th, BMS student Tanja Massoth gave birth to her daughter Anna Sari. Finja Pauline, born on October 10th, is the new born daughter of BMS student Ronald Wotzlaw. Last but not least, BMS student Evelyn Dittmer's son Livian was born on October 17th.
Congratulations!
Welcome Professors Friedland and Edelsbrunner! Professors Shmuel Friedland (University of Illinois at Chicago) and Herbert Edelsbrunner (Duke University) have joined us as "BMS Professors" for the winter term 07/08.  During his stay in Berlin Professor Friedland will teach a course on "Topics in Matrices" at TU Berlin. After a summer term as Visiting Professor at the University of Bielefeld in 1994, Professor Friedland is now on his second long-term visit to Germany.
Professor Edelsbrunner (photo) was born and grew up in Austria. He visited the United States in 1985 and made an overnight decision to stay, initially for a few years. He accepted an offer from the University of Illinois, where he stayed until 1999, when he moved on to his current position at Duke University. Ready to embark on a new challenge, Professor Edelsbrunner will stay here for one year and give the first presentation of the BMS Friday Colloquium Series on October 26th, followed one week later by the Fields medalist Wendelin Werner. Welcome to Berlin!
Curious about the Berlin Experience? Interested in Mathematics? Would you like to study in Germany's capital city? 25 students from 16 countries joined the BMS in October 2007. If you like to join them in October 2008, please find more information here.  As the BMS aims to have 50% female students we especially encourage women to apply!
Applicants who hold a bachelor degree, Vordiplom, or equivalent can enter the BMS Phase I, in which they will complete five BMS Phase I courses on a Master’s level within 3 to 4 semesters. For students who are further advanced, part of the Phase I course requirements may be waived. Supervisors will be allocated according to the areas of interest given in the application. Applicants seeking to start their Ph.D. project immediately by entering the BMS Phase II are expected to hold a Master’s degree or equivalent, or must pass the BMS Qualifying Exams and meet the regular admission requirements of the Berlin universities' Ph.D. programs. Phase II applicants are expected to name a supervisor in their application. The application period for the 2008/09 academic year (winter semester 2008/09 and summer semester 2009) will end on May 31, 2008. Applicants interested in a scholarship must submit their application by January 15, 2008. After that date it will not be possible to apply for a BMS scholarship. Life in Berlin For some, Berlin is a metropolis with well-known universities. For others, Berlin is the vibrant heart of Europe. BMS student Dror Atariah gives us a vivid insight of his first impressions of Berlin when the BMS opened its doors for students for the first time.  “I came to visit my girlfriend who was studying in Berlin. Berlin was the first big city I have ever been to. Until I saw it, the biggest place I knew was Tel Aviv, which is more or less the size of one of the suburbs of Berlin. Thus, the first thing I felt was "WOW! It's is so big!" In order to get around in such a big place one should acquire means of transportation. My wife explained the simplest thing, the name on trains, buses and trams, reveals the final destination of the specific vehicle. Equipped with this knowledge I was ready to hit the road.
The next stage is to apply for a visa. The office in charge conceals itself behind the name Ausländerbehörde, and is located in an industrial part of Wedding. It was hard to believe the rumor that no one speaks English in this office. My wife had a big concert the same day, and I wasn't ready to face the German bureaucracy on my own. The surreal solution had the shape of a hand written letter in my bag. A friend told me that it is pointless to go there without knowing German, so my wife wrote a letter explaining what I need. With this letter and all the required forms and papers on my back, I headed to the foreign office (using my first lesson knowledge and subway line U9). As predicted, I didn't open my mouth - the hand written letter made all the work. A short while after life got on track, my wife and I planned a little hike at Wannsee, we were heading the lakeside. We took the regional train (RE) from Zoologischer Garten, then bus number 114. We got off the bus where we thought we were at the closest spot to the lake itself. Unexpectedly, we found ourselves standing in front of the "House of the Wannsee Conference". We weren't sure whether we should enter that place or not, eventually we did. It was a very strong and emotional moment. Our heartbeats escalated. We were standing where the "Final Solution" was formalized. The surroundings were so beautiful, so peaceful. One can easily picture the same place 60 years ago - the same lake, same sails, same swimmers and the same building. I couldn't picture the conference room full of Nazi officers discussing the termination of my people. I couldn't understand how a human being can sit in such a wonderful place and prepare such an evil plan. We wrote few lines in the guest book and left for the lakeshore. Now my home is in Berlin. There is a whole lot more to learn and know, but for me, the bottom line it is of great meaning - building my family in Berlin, Germany.” Meanwhile the BMS opened a One-Stop Office that supports BMS students in all practical issues that may arise, ranging from travel, visa, housing, language courses, bureaucratic issues to child care, music and sports opportunities. Do you know? Do you know what “Desperate Housewives” star Teri Hatcher, world-famous musician Art Garfunkel, and German soccer coach Ottmar Hitzfeld have in common? Find out here:  All of them began their careers studying mathematics! Teri Hatcher began studying acting at the American Conservatory Theater while pursuing an undergraduate degree in mathematics and engineering at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. Although she was planning to transfer to California Polytechnic Institute, she attended an open casting call - as a favor to a friend who needed moral support - and ended up in Hollywood.
Art Garfunkel holds a Master of Science degree in Mathematics from Columbia University and was going to pursue his Ph.D. there, but his career with Simon & Garfunkel took off before that happened. He says that he thought he was going to go to college and pick one of the more reputable professions and be an upright citizen. Ottmar Hitzfeld, a mathematics teacher, is not only Germany’s most successful soccer coach, but also one of the most outstanding in the history of the game. Twice selected "World Coach of the Year," Hitzfeld is one of only two coaches, along with soccer legend Ernst Happel, to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League with two different clubs. Success made by mathematics!
The 2007 BMS Fridays You find further information and directions here. For seminars and colloquia, see also the Berlin-Potsdam Mathematics Calendar. _______________________________________ Imprint Berlin Mathematical School
One-Stop Office
Straße des 17. Juli 136
10623 Berlin
Tel.: + 49 (0)30 314 78610 www.math-berlin.de
Created by Athena Wissenschaftsmarketing
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