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I hope that this question is okay to post here.

I'm in my final year of my master's degree in Sweden, and I'm starting to feel that some doors are closing in regards to applying for a postgraduate degree. Some universities in the USA have their application deadlines by the 15th of December, which is in five days, and some universities in the UK by the beginning of January.

I've asked but haven't really learned much from my department about what universities would be good to do a PhD in within my area of interest. It's not that I wouldn't want to stay where I am, but I would like to work/study abroad.

So are there any good universities for Algebra/Representation theory/etc that currently have general applications, or any specific application/position that would be good to apply for now or in the near future?

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    $\begingroup$ It depends on how strong your file is. But in general, all leading Universities in the World have good algebra/representation theory groups $\endgroup$
    – markvs
    Dec 10, 2020 at 20:40
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    $\begingroup$ It could be useful to subscribe to some relevant mailing list, where such positions are sometimes advertised. For example eager-gen (listserv.dfn.de/sympa/info/eager-gen) is mostly about (european) algebraic geometry announcements, but you can find related topics as well. I am sure that there are similar ML that focus exactly on the topic you are interested in. You could ask your thesis supervisor or other experts in the area, to begin with! $\endgroup$
    – Enrico
    Dec 10, 2020 at 20:58
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    $\begingroup$ The University of East Anglia currently has several representation theory projects posted here, and generally this is not too uncommon to see across the UK. Depending on which Swedish university you're at, you might well be recommended to apply to UEA from the rep theory department there :-) $\endgroup$ Dec 10, 2020 at 22:30
  • $\begingroup$ You might like to register to the email list of group pub. Quite often people advertise PhD positions there. $\endgroup$ Dec 11, 2020 at 2:04
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    $\begingroup$ Euler institute in St. Petersburg have doctoral fellowships: eimi.ru/calls/3422 We have good algebraists as possible advisors. $\endgroup$ Dec 11, 2020 at 11:16

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This question was asked in 2020, and had a built-in five day deadline. It never received an answer but did have some helpful comments. Since this is a general question, and future users might benefit from reading an answer, I will try to answer it.

Generally, it's good to start thinking about applications to your next position several months in advance of the first deadlines. That way, you can request letters of recommendation from your professors early, can talk to professors and friends to generate a list of programs to apply to, have plenty of time for things like updating your CV, writing a personal statement, etc., and can make a plan for how to get each application done before its deadline. Some master's degrees feed into PhD positions at the same university, so it's good to tell your advisor early on if you plan to do your PhD elsewhere. In particular, this can help them suggest a suitable course of study and master's thesis topic. Your professors can also help you meet (or reach out electronically to) professors abroad who might be interested to take you on as a PhD student.

As you think about which places to apply, pause for a moment to think about what settings will be most correlated to your happiness, wellness, and sense of fulfillment, because all of these are related to your ability to succeed. Think about where you want to live (e.g., urban vs rural, climate, culture, etc.) It is very easy to find yourself in a setting that contributes to feeling isolated, sad, etc., and it's hard to do good research when you feel that way. Even better if you already have a relationship with the person you plan to work with for your PhD, because that relationship is also critical to success.

Another point is: consider your long-term career plans, including where you want to live/work long term. Sometimes, to get a job in a specific country, it helps to be a citizen and to have gotten your PhD there. It is possible that going abroad for your PhD could have detrimental effects for your planned career. Your advisor is the best person to discuss this with, because it's very country-specific. I can't comment on Sweden specifically, except to say I do know several non-Swedes who have permanent positions in Swedish universities. Canada has some preferential hiring for Canadian citizens but it doesn't seem to matter whether they got their PhD in Canada or not. Also, different PhD programs have different track records for how likely it is that their graduates will get a permanent position and you can usually find info on this online.

Another cultural difference is that some PhD positions in Europe are funded directly by a grant, which means you essentially apply to the professor directly instead of the university. For such applications, it's very helpful if you or your advisor already has a relationship with the person, or if you've had coursework (including reading courses with your advisor) preparing you for that specific person's subject of interest. In contrast, in the USA, you usually apply to the university, then later select your advisor (though, it can be a good idea to mention in your application who you hope to work with, and why you think your background/interests are a good match for that person).

Lastly, in terms of well-known departments in algebra or representation theory, I'd make a list first based on what your advisor and other professors tell you, and then do a bit of Googling. When I do that, it suggests to look at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, University of Chicago, etc. But it's good to apply to a variety of places, at different levels of selectivity, so I'd also look at Dartmouth, some of the University of California schools (like UCLA, UCSD, etc.), and some state schools like Ohio State, University of Oregon, University of Washington, University of Illinois-Urbana, University of Kentucky, etc. I'd do more than just look at the research group: I'd look at individual professors and read the introductions to some of their papers, to see if their research program is of interest to you. Frequent conversations with your advisor, regarding your specific interests so far, can narrow down the list a lot. I might aim to apply for 8-15 programs depending on your strength, recognizing that a big part of the acceptance process is random. Good luck!

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