Today I want to discuss some of the arguments that should play a role in the decision for students to send  out an application to a particular principal investigator in a particular institute in, very often, a foreign country.

Mobility
How mobile should a junior scientist be? I know some very successful scientists that went to high school, college and university in the same city. And even became professor at that university, with as their research theme a continuous iteration of their PhD thesis. But I think they form a minority.

Leaving your own university, or even your country
The majority of junior scientists struggle. Should they leave their country? And if so, at what level of their education? Leaving one’s country is usually either done to get a PhD abroad, or to get first a master abroad and then a PhD abroad. But even if staying in the same country the question arises whether or not one should continue to go for a PhD in the same group where the master degree was acquired.

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