Usages of "topics" when talking about subjects and research fields

Question

I'm trying to write a cover letter and I need to talk about two of my favorite subjects. This is the first part of the:

Another reason why I am interested in studying at X University is to try to build my future by studying courses such as bioinformatics and systems biology in order to join research groups specialized in the development of new algorithms, methodologies and software tools for the analysis of biological data.

Now, in the second part of the paragraph, I need to talk again about these courses, but indirectly. So, I decided to refer them as "topics". Does it makes sense? Or should I refer them in another way?

As there are currently few research centres in the world dealing with these topics, this opportunity is more unique than rare for those who, like me, want to have a future in this field.

Answer 1

As a native English speaker, former EFL trainer and professional translator, I would say that your sentence "As there are currently few research centres in the world dealing with these topics," is perfectly correct and suitable for purpose. There are also other synonyms for "topics" you could use, for example "issues/themes/subjects"...