AstroMundus in numbers and Alumni careers

Erasmus Mundus Master Course in 1st Cycle Editions 1 to 5 2010 - 2016

AstroMundus Applicants & Students - Editions 1 to 5 Applications arrived from 83 different countries; 19% of applicants were females. 78 students (28 females, 50 males) from 43 different countries were enrolled.

Edition 1 Edition 2 Edition 3 Edition 4 Edition 5 Total

No. of applicants 112 76 125 138 105 556 EMMC student scholarship holders enrolled in the 13 8 9 8 7 45 category A/Partner Country EMMC student scholarship holders enrolled in the 6 2 4 4 3 19 category B/ Programme Country Students from Partner Countries enrolled as self- 0 0 2 1 5 8 payers or with alternative scholarships Students from Programme Countries enrolled as self- 0 0 0 3 4 7 payers or with alternative scholarships Successfully graduated 16 10 14 14 19 73 students Countries of origin of applicants

Countries of origin of enrolled students

AstroMundus Guest Scholars – Editions 1 to 5

Edition 1 Edition 2 Edition 3 Edition 4 Edition 5 Total

Guest scholars from 4 6 7 5 0 22 Partner Countries

Guest scholars from 2 1 2 3 5 12 Programme Countries

Countries of origin of Guest Scholars

Alumni careers First occupation/activity after AstroMundus graduation

Countries where AstroMundus alumni obtained their academic positions after graduation First academic position Second academic position after graduation after graduation

Edition 1 – Master theses and Alumni careers (part 1) Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known Zahra Alvi, Growth of Super University of Jobs outside academia: Research analyst, Massive Black holes on Göttingen, 03/09/2012 United Arab Emirates. Entrapreneur. Cosmological Timescales Khan Muhammad bin On the origin of cold University of Rome Tor PhD, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University Asad, fronts and radio mini Vergata, 20/07/2012 of Groningen, The Netherlands. Since October halos by means of gas 2016 Post-Doc at SKA Office in South Africa. sloshing Abbas Askar, Pakistan Optical Emission from , PhD, Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Ultraluminous X-ray 27/09/2012 Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland Sources Luca Grassitelli, Physical Parameters of University of , PhD, IMPRS Max-Planck-Institute for the Relativistic Shock 27/07/2012 Radioastronomy, Argelander Institut für Waves in a sample of Astronomie, Bonn, - concluded in Gamma Ray Bursts October 2016. Now Post-Doc at the same Institute. Yu-Cian Hong, Dynamics and survival of University of Padua, PhD, Cornell University, U.S.A. moons of extra-solar 27/09/2012 giant planets in planet- planet scattering Cigdem Kanberoglu, From TOD to CMB University of Rome Tor PhD, Middle East Technical University, Turkey power spectra; A new, Vergata, 20/07/2012 improved, Map making algorithm Christopher Marvin, A spectrum forward University of PhD, Institute for Astrophysics, University of USA simulator for Göttingen, 20/09/2012 Göttingen, Germany CARMENES Remudin Reshid Hydrodynamical studies University of PhD, Wits University, Johannesburg, South Mekuria, Ethiopia for Göttingen, 05/09/2012 Africa - concluded in autumn 2017.

Note: as of September 2019 Edition 1 – Master Theses & Alumni careers (part 2) Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known Pece Podigachoski, Dust-enshrouded star University of PhD, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University Macedonia formation in clusters: , 10/08/2012 of Groningen, The Netherlands - concluded in the 24 m cluster galaxy October 2016. Now working as technical analyst population in a Dutch company Nemanja Rakic, Variability of AGN spectral Univ. Assistant, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia Herzegovina properties & University of Bosnia-Herzegovina & PhD, University of Göttingen, 27/07/2012 Belgrade, Payaswini Saikia, The UV and optical spectral University of Belgrade PhD, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The properties of a sample of broad and University of Netherlands - successfully concluded in June line AGNs Göttingen, 27/07/2012 2018. Now post-doc at New York University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Sara Alejandra Human-Robotic Mars Science University of PhD, GAIA Research for European Sans, Operations:Target Selection Innsbruck, 14/08/2012 Training (GREAT-ITN) network, KU Leuven, Optimization via Traverse and Belgium - successfully concluded in January Science Planning 2017. Kamal Mohamed Efficient Identification of University of Teaching Assistant (demonstrator), Sohag Teleb, Exoplanetary Transit Signals Innsbruck & Univ. of University, Faculty of Science, Egypt Göttingen, 25/04/2013 Paritosh Verma, Study of Detectability of University of Rome, Further studies at the University of India Signals 28/09/2012 Massachusetts, U.S.A. from Highly Magnetic Accreting Millisecond Neutron Stars Dimitar Vlaykov, Observable consequences of University of PhD, Institute for Astrophysics, University of open inflation Göttingen, 05/09/2012 Göttingen, Germany - successfully concluded in September 2015. Postdoctoral Researcher at the Max Planck Institut für Dynamik und Selbstorganisation, Göttingen Laura Volpes, Italy Thermal and magnetic University of PhD, Institute for Astrophysics, University of structure of the corona in a 3D Göttingen, 20/07/2012 Göttingen, Germany - successfully concluded in MHD simulation June 2016 Note: as of September 2019 Edition 2 – Master theses and Alumni careers (part 1)

Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known Wilnelia Edith -Climate Relations: The University of Rome Tor PhD, Davos World Radiation Center & ETH Adams, South Africa Effect of UV Irradiance Vergata, 27/09/2013 Zurich, Switzerland Variability on Stratospheric Ozone over the 11-year Solar Cycle Cosmos Dumba, Probing the Disk University of Göttingen, Teaching Assistant, Mbarara University, Uganda Uganda Winds in AGN 23/08/2013 & PhD, University of Jena & Tautenburg Observatory, Germany, successfully concluded in Jan 2019. Now Lecturer at Mbarara University Levan Kakabadze, Contribution of Structure University of Innsbruck Job as software engineer, Georgia Georgia Formation: Cosmic Rays to & University of Extragalactic Gamma Ray Belgrade, 30/09/2013 Background Vladimir Lukovic, Lemaitre-Tolmon-Bondi: University of Rome Tor PhD, Joint PhD programme at the Universities Serbia Cosmological Model Vergata, 27/09/2013 of Rome "Tor Vergata" and "La Sapienza", Italy, concluded in 2017. Now Post-Doc at UniTOV. Gerardo Martinez On the Evolution of Galactic University of Innsbruck PhD, International Relativistic Astrophysics Aviles, Mexico Habitability & University of Programme, Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate, Belgrade, 23/08/2013 University of Nice, France Fahad Nasir, Mock X-Ray Oberservations University of Innsbruck, PhD, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. Pakistan of undergoing 13/08/2013 Now post-doc at University of California, RAM-pressure stripping Riverside, USA. Kalyan Kumar Removal of the Ground University of Padua, PhD, IMPRS Max-Planck-Institute for Radhakrishnan Layer for very large 13/09/2013 Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany, concluded in Pattathill Telescopes 2017. First postdoc in Heidelberg. Now fixed- Santhakumari, India term researcher position at INAF, Padova, Italy

Note: as of September 2019 Edition 2 – Master Theses & Alumni careers (part 2)

Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known Barbara Lucia Study of the Intercluster University of Innsbruck, PhD, University of Innsbruck, Ramirez Mosquera, Medium Velocity Structure in 13/09/2013 Venezuela Cosmological Simulations

Xuan Nhut Truong, Neutrino Physics and new University of Padua, PhD, Joint PhD programme at the Universities Vietnam Perspectives in Cosmology 13/09/2013 of Rome "Tor Vergata" and Rome "La Sapienza", Italy, concluded in 2017. Now Post- Doc at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary Abhay Pratap Yadav, Study of Chromospheric University of Göttingen, PhD, EXPERT III Erasmus Mundus programme, India Activity of Solar-Type Stars 14/09/2013 Institute for Astrophysics, University of Göttingen, Germany, concluded in 2016. Post-Doc at the University of Göttingen

Note: as of September 2019 Edition 3 – Master theses and Alumni careers (part 1)

Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known Paola Wara and Accretion University of Göttingen, PhD, Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Aalto Chamani Velasco, Power of Supermassive Black 16/09/2014 University, Finland Bolivia Holes in Circumnuclear Disks

Guido Granda Influence of Box Size and University of Innsbruck, PhD, ICRAR - University of Western Australia Munoz, Peru Overdensity in Cosmological 22/09/2014 Simulations Balakrishna Cosmological Perturbations and University of Rome Tor PhD, Gran Sasso Science Institute, l'Aquila, Sandeep Haridasu, Warm Dark Matter Vergata, 24/10/2014 Italy, concluded in July 2018. Now postdoc at India Univ. Rome ToV, Italy. Fateme Kamali, AGN Black Hole Masses at University of Göttingen PhD, IMPRS Max-Planck-Institute for Iran Different Cosmological Scales & University of Radioastronomy, Argelander Institut für Belgrade, 09/09/2014 Astronomie, Bonn, Germany Rosita Dimitrova X-ray Weak Quasars University of Göttingen PhD, Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Kokotanekova, & University of Research, Göttingen, Germany & Open Bulgaria Belgrade, 09/09/2014 University, U.K., concluded in 2018. Now postdoctoral ESO fellowship, Germany. Le Hoang Nguyen, Search for Binary Counterparts University of Rome Tor PhD, DESY (Deutsches Elektronen- Vietnam of Galactic Gamma-Ray Vergata, 24/10/2014 Synchrotron), Hamburg, Germany Transients Uroš Meštrić, Investigations of Structure and University of Belgrade, PhD, Swinburne University of Technology, Serbia Morphology of Galaxies in a graduated as local Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Sample from GAMA and SDSS student, autumn 2015 Databases Ana Paola Mikler, Cluster Properties of High University of Padova, PhD, IMPRS Max-Planck-Institute for Colombia Redshift Sources in the ADF-S 30/09/2014 Radioastronomy, Argelander Institut für Region Astronomie, Bonn, Germany

Anna Ogorzalek, MHD Simulations of Colliding University of Innsbruck, PhD, Stanford University, California, U.S.A. Poland Stellar Winds in Binary Systems 08/09/2014

Note: as of September 2019 Edition 3 – Master theses and Alumni careers (part 2)

Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known William Arthur Study of the Flyby Anomaly University of Padova, PhD, Observatoire de Paris, France, Polycarpe, France Tracking the Future JUICE 30/09/2014 concluded in October 2018 Probe with the International Laser Ranging Service Avneet Singh, India Primordial Non-Gaussianity in University of Padova, PhD, IMPRS at Max Planck Institute for Horndeski-type Models of 30/09/2014 Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) Inflation and Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany, concluded in 2017. Now Post-Doc at the Albert Einstein Institute, Hannover Martha Irene Planetary Bombardment in University of Göttingen, PhD, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Saladino, Mexico Young Planetary Systems 03/09/2014 Netherlands

Sreevarsha Stellar Mass Content of Planck University of Innsbruck, PhD, University of Innsbruck, Austria. Starting Sreejith, India Sunyaev-Zeldovich Galaxy 15/09/2014 a post-doc in October 2018 at the University Clusters of Clermont Auvergne, France Jinglin Zhao, China End-to-End Simulation of University of Göttingen, PhD, University of New South Wales, CARMENES Observations 30/09/2014 Australia

Note: as of September 2019 Edition 4 – Master theses and Alumni careers – (part 1)

Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known Deepak Bastola, Study of feedback mechanisms University of Göttingen, PhD, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Nepal from Active Galaxy Nuclei 10/09/2015 Marseille, Université d'Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France

Grega Belšak, Modeling of Eclipse Time University of Göttingen, n.a. Slovenia Variations for V471 Tauri System 04/09/2015

Aleksandar Cikota, A Study of the Effect of Host University of Innsbruck, PhD, ESO Fellowship at International Max Croatia Galaxy Extinction on the Colors 16/07/2015 Planck Research School, Garching, Germany, of Type Ia Supernovae completed in July 2018. Now post-doc at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA. Dan Josué Deras Modelling near-surface effects in University of Göttingen, PhD, National Autonomous University of Badillo, Mexico evolved solar-like oscillators 18/09/2015 Mexico (UNAM), Mexico

Arpine Constraints on Cosmological University of Rome, PhD, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, Kozmanyan, Parameters from Cosmic 18/09/2015 concluded in 2018. Armenia Microwave Background and Matter Power Spectrum Observations Kristhell Marisol Central Massive Black Holes and University of Innsbruck, PhD, SRON Netherlands Institute for Space López López, Dark Matter Halos in Low Mass 01/09/2015 Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands Guatemala Galaxies Konstantina A Flare Forecasting Algorithm University of Rome, PhD, University of Glasgow, U.K. Loumou, Greece Based on Multi-Line 25/09/2015 Magnetograms

Mija Lovrić, Serbia Solar Cycle Effects on University of Rome, PhD, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, Stratospheric Ozone 25/09/2015 successfully concluded in December 2018.

Note: as of September 2019 Edition 4 – Master Theses & Alumni careers (part 2)

Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further position, origin Graduation when known Pietro Olmo Piana, Time Renormalization Method in University of Göttingen, Specialization on space transport systems, Italy Cosmological Perturbation 28/09/2015 University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy. Now Theory PhD student at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands Eliceth Yaneire Keck/DEIMOS Spectroscopy of University of Innsbruck, PhD, Armagh Observatory, U.K. Rojas-Montes, Blue Supergiants in IC 10 and 15/01/2016 Venezuela Sextans B Noemi Schaffer, Ultralight Axion Dark Matter University of Göttingen, PhD, Department of Astronomy and Hungary Modeling with Particle-In-Cell 03/09/2015 Theoretical Physics, Lund University & Lund Method Observatory, Sweden Lawrence Anthony Comparison of Predicted and University of Rome & PhD, Astrophysics Research Institute, Short, United Observed Period Derivatives of University of Belgrade, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, Kingdom RR Lyrae Stars 25/09/2015 U.K. Efsan Sökmen, Determination of Element University of Göttingen, PhD, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Turkey Abundances of Galactic Globular 24/09/2015 Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Clusters Through Red Giants with MUSE/VLT Miles Landan A new age-period-activity University of Göttingen, PhD, NCCR 'Planet S' program, Swiss Timpe, USA relation for M dwarfs: 04/09/2015 consortium, Center for Theoretical implications for planetary Astrophysics and Cosmology, University of habitability Zurich, Switzerland

Note: as of September 2019 Edition 5 – Master theses and Alumni careers – (part 1) Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further origin Graduation position, when known Benjamin Garret Multimssenger Detection of Core- University of Rome Tor n.a. Browning, USA Collapse Supernovae via Linked Vergata, 28/10/2016 Gravitational Wave and Neutrino Detector Networks Benjamin Eric Star formation from molecular University of Padova, Initially opted for a job in a company. PhD Czaja, USA cloud collisions 28/09/2016 candidate at the Computational Science Lab, Univ. of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Hannah Suzanne Quantitative Spectroscopy of Blue University of PhD, Astrophysics Research Institute, Dalgleish, United Supergiants in NGC 6822 Innsbruck, 13/09/2016 Liverpool John Moores University, UK Kingdom Kaan Kaplan, The Search for in K2 University of Padova, n.a Turkey Clusters M35 and NGC 2158 27/10/2016 Iuliia Mykhailivna Variability of the broad-line Seyfert University of Opted for a break period in her home Diakiv, Ukraine galaxy ESO 141-G55 Göttingen, 26/09/2016 country Robert Dzudzar, Dwarf Galaxy Evolution in the University of PhD, Swinburne University of Technology, Serbia Massive and Dynamically Active Innsbruck, 19/09/2016 Melbourne, Australia Cluster Abell 3266 Odysse Halim, The Sensitivity of Using Coarse University of Rome Tor PhD, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L'Aquila, Indonesia Grid in All-Sky Surveys Data Vergata, 30/09/2016 Italy Analysis of Continuous Gravitational Waves Erik Nikolas Halpha Variability in CN Leo, an University of PhD, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Johnson, USA Active M Dwarf Göttingen, 26/09/2016 Research (MPS), Göttingen, Germany Yana Igorevna Adaptation of the LSST Software University of Innsbruck PhD, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Khusanova, Stack to the ESO-NTT SOFI & University of Marseille, Université d'Aix-Marseille, France Russian Federation Camera and Application to the Belgrade, 27/09/2016 SOFI Ks-band Dataset of the 02hr Deep Field from the VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey for Data Reduction and Analysis Edition 5 – Master theses and Alumni careers (part 2)

Name & Country of Master Thesis AstroMundus Position after graduation and further origin Graduation position, when known Maksym Stellar magnetic field impact on University of PhD, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Lisogorskyi, planet detection Göttingen, 16/09/2016 UK Ukraine Abhishek Sanjay Cosmological parameter estimates University of Rome Tor PhD, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Maniyar, India from SNe Ia and H(z) Vergata, 23/09/2016 Marseille, Université d'Aix-Marseille, France Minh Nhat Nguyen, Local Random Potentials and University of PhD, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics Vietnam Cosmology Göttingen, 27/07/2016 (MPA), Garching, Germany Liam Donal Parameter Studies in Cosmic Ray University of PhD, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK O'Sullivan, Ireland Propagation Innsbruck, 16/09/2016

Ernesto Perez AGN Light Curves and University of Göttingen PhD, University of Guadalajara, Mexico Hernandez, Mexico Periodicities: The case of ARP & University of 102B, 3C 390.3, NGC 5548 & Belgrade, 21/09/2016 E1821+643 Bastian Severin Homogeneous Metallicity Scale for University of Rome Tor PhD, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Niklas Proxauf, Galactic Classical Cepheids Vergata, 30/09/2016 Research (MPS), Göttingen, Germany Austria Miika Aleksi The shape of relativistically broad- University of Belgrade, PhD, University of Southampton, UK Pursiainen, Finland ened Fe Kalpha line in type 1 AGN 07/09/2016

Nikolina Šarčević, Population of Gamma-Ray Sources University of Padova, PhD, University of Freiburg, Germany Serbia in the Third Fermi LAT Catalogue 09/03/2017 Joanna Tamani The Intrinsic Shapes of Dwarf University of PhD, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Ramasawmy, Galaxies in the MATLAS Survey Innsbruck, 09/09/2016 UK United Kingdom Georgina Feroza Spherical Collapse of Ultra-Light University of PhD, University of Kyoto, Japan Sanjana, United Axionic Dark Matter Göttingen, 02/09/2016 Kingdom Note: as of September 2019 Some outstanding scientific works with the participation of AstroMundus Alumni

● First detection of gravitational waves and subsequent works within the LIGO-Virgo collaboration. Avneet Singh, co-author of the Physics Review Letter https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102

● Observation of gravitational waves from a binary neutron star merger (GW170817) and from a binary black-hole coalescence (GW170814). Odysse Halim and Avneet Singh are co-authors of the Physics Review Letters https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.161101 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.141101

● Observation of a kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart of the gravitational wave source GW170817. Aleksandar Cikota, co-author of the Letter to Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/nature24303

Some examples of outstanding scientific works with the participation of AstroMundus Alumni

● Discovery of a ring around the trans-Neptunian dwarf planet Haumea. Aleksandar Cikota, co-author of the Letter to Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/nature24051

● Discovery of an Earth-mass planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the Sun. Christopher J. Marvin, co-author of the Letter to Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/nature19106 Press release: http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1629/

● New hints to the unification of Quasars and Radio-Galaxies and finding of prodigious starburst-driven superwinds in Quasar host galaxies. Pece Podigachoski is first author / co-author of the Astrophysical Journal Letters https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/806/1/L11 https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa7631 Press release: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-herschel-links-mysterious-quasar-furious.html