ETH News
All stories by Roland Baumann
The President of the ETH Alumni Association on new networking programmes and untapped potential
- Globe magazine
- News
Job platform, knowledge network, mentoring and cross-generational exchange: President of the ETH Alumni Association Jeannine Pilloud talks in an interview about the upcoming transformation of her organisation.
AI reality lags the hype in Swiss tech industries
News
Everyone talks about Artificial Intelligence but its current adoption rates are low in the Swiss tech industry, especially in manufacturing-related applications. This is one conclusion of a survey conducted by ETH Zurich in collaboration with Swissmem and Next Industries. Professor Torbj?rn Netland, responsible for the report, explains why Swiss tech companies are still faring well in an international comparison and how they can release the potential.
"Anyone who wants to do research in Singapore should get in touch now!"
News
Manu Kapur has been Director of the Singapore ETH Centre (SEC) since the beginning of the year. In this interview, he talks about which research programmes will be continued in Singapore, which new programmes will be created, and how researchers from across the ETH Domain can get involved in the SEC.
ETH Zurich again in seventh place
News
ETH Zurich maintains its excellent ranking from the previous year in the QS rankings just published. Alongside top scores for its academic reputation and international outlook, the university’s efforts in the area of sustainability have also helped it to retain seventh place. The faculty-student ratio remains the indicator in which the university scores lowest.
Innovative materials and remarkable people
News
Paolo Ermanni researched novel composite materials at ETH for over a quarter of a century. His enthusiasm for materials was rivalled only by his passion for teaching. He will also go down in ETH history as the first Vice Rector for Continuing Education. To mark his retirement, we take a look back at his storied career.
ETH students accelerate private sector innovation
News
Students at ETH Zurich are working together with engineers from the technology firm Bühler to accelerate innovation and minimise the attendant risks. It's a fruitful collaboration that other companies are also poised to benefit from.
“We need two-way communication with our industry partners”
News
Vanessa Wood, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations, wants to expand research collaborations with industry, governmental agencies and non-profit organisations. She has recruited Jeannine Pilloud, who brings a wealth of industry experience, to help her with this task.
Scientifica 23: What holds the world together
News
On the weekend of 2-3 September, visitors can experience science up close and personal at interactive exhibition stands, shows and workshops and exchange ideas with researchers. Scientifica, Switzerland's largest science festival starts on 26 August with events in the city of Zurich. Free tickets are available now.
Visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to ETH Zurich
News
The 19 January visit of Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea, to ETH Zurich focused on Quantum Science.
Sergio Mattarella al Politecnico
News
As part of a two-day state visit to Switzerland, the Italian President stopped off at ETH Zurich on Wednesday (30 November) in the company of President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis. After a welcome by ETH President Jo?l Mesot and some words of greeting from the two guests, researchers and students of the university provided an insight into their work.
Heartfelt tributes to departing Rector
Globe magazine
Sarah Springman made a real difference as Rector and helped to improve teaching at ETH on many levels. Her passion and commitment inspired everyone she met – both inside and outside the university walls.
COVID certificate requirement: the way back to in-person teaching
News
The announcement that COVID certificates will be compulsory has been welcomed by both students’ and lecturers’ associations at ETH Zurich as the best way back to in-person teaching. Implementation is a challenge, as Rector Sarah Springman explains.
Students shouldn’t have to bear the burden of the pandemic
News
After three semesters of online teaching, it’s time for students to get back to ETH, says Hermann Lehner, Head of Academic Services at ETH Zurich. He hopes that the Federal Council's further decisions will enable face-to-face teaching at universities.
rETHink project: preparing for the next 20 years
Globe magazine
Rising expectations from both inside and outside the university have prompted the Executive Board to launch rETHink. One year on, this organisational development project is steadily gaining momentum.
“In-person exams are essential for ETH Zurich”
News
Online teaching has been the dominant feature of the Autumn Semester curriculum. Only three weeks remain before exams start. Hermann Lehner, Head of Academic Services, explains why sitting exams in person at ETH is so important, and the relevant arrangements.
ETH Zurich to suspend most classroom teaching
News
With the number of coronavirus cases growing rapidly, ETH Zurich sees no choice but to extensively restrict classroom teaching starting on 2 November. The ETH community will receive detailed information over the course of the next week.
"Diversity is an extremely important issue for universities"
News
The "Black Lives Matter" protests in the wake of George Floyd's death in the US have spilled over into Europe and Switzerland as well. ETH President Jo?l Mesot and Renate Schubert, the Executive Board's Delegate for Equal Opportunities, explain why this issue also affects ETH Zurich, and stress the importance of diversity for the university.
"We are aiming for an optimal mix of classroom and online teaching"
News
The switch to online teaching last semester has worked incredibly well at ETH. But what form will teaching take in the autumn? Rector Sarah Springman discusses some of the arrangements that the university is currently considering.
Engineering solutions to combat the coronavirus crisis
News
The two technical universities in the ETH Domain are launching a new initiative, “helpfulETH”. Its goal is to provide solutions for hospitals and other healthcare bodies to help them deal with the acute problems presented by the coronavirus epidemic.
Evolution as a narrative in teaching biology
News
What is life? This question is the starting point not for a philosophy lecture, but for the newly designed Bachelor’s degree programme in biology at ETH Zurich. With it, the department is embarking on an entirely new path.
“We are missing out on too many talented female students”
News
ETH Zurich has been trying for years to increase the percentage of women in its ranks, not least among its students. So far, these efforts have not met with huge success. Why is that? And what is ETH doing to attract more female students? We asked Rector Sarah Springman.
Rethinking healthcare systems
News
ETH Zurich is planning to step up its research activities in Singapore. It aims to extend its current Future Resilient Systems programme by five years and to launch a new programme, Future Health Technologies, in the coming year.
New further education opportunities in 2020
News
The School for Continuing Education is adding new courses. Six new CAS programmes will be kicking off next year, including three for (future) managers with non-technical backgrounds.
Can you produce kerosene with air and sunlight?
News
You can find the answer in this video and at Scientifica from 30 August to 1 September at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. Scientifica is the biggest science festival in Switzerland. This year's theme ist “science fiction – science facts”.
Can you control a computer with your thoughts?
News
You can find the answer in this video and at Scientifica from 30 August to 1 September at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. Scientifica is the biggest science festival in Switzerland. This year's theme ist “science fiction – science facts”.
Can Switzerland do without electricity imports?
News
You can find the answer at Scientifica from 30 August to 1 September. And in our video, which sets the scene for this year's event.
Can you count all the trees on earth?
News
You can find the answer at Scientifica from 30 August to 1 September. And in our video, which sets the scene for this year's event.
Unravelling corrosion
News
ETH researchers have succeeded in elucidating how and at what rate steel corrodes in a variety of porous materials. Their findings help enable the breakthrough of new, environmentally friendly types of cement.
Can animals predict earthquakes?
News
You can find the answer at Scientifica from 30 August to 1 September. And in our video, which sets the scene for this year's event.
Are there any diving planes?
News
You can find the answer at Scientifica from 30 August to 1 September. And in our video, which sets the scene for this year's event.
#howsETHgoing? – the students respond
News
ETH students experience a high level of academic pressure, but they consider the way they are treated at the university to be respectful, with the vast majority unaffected by discrimination or unequal treatment. These are the key findings of a wide-ranging survey conducted by the Students’ Association.
ETH Zurich increases scholarships
The ETH Executive Board has decided to issue more scholarships from the autumn semester 2019. It will also increase the amounts paid out. For the most financially disadvantaged, this will serve to offset the increase in tuition fees introduced by the ETH Board.
How are the students at ETH Zurich doing?
News
The VSETH student association is about to conduct a broad-based survey amongst the ETH students with the aim of obtaining a comprehensive picture of their situation. The Rectorate is supporting the initiative and will join the VSETH in evaluating the findings.
An Oscar for Medusa
News
On 9 February 2019, researchers from ETH Zurich and Disney Research had the honour of receiving a Sci-Tech Oscar in Hollywood for their capture system, Medusa.
Taking doctoral studies to the next level
News
What makes good supervision for doctoral students? What factors define the relationship between the supervisor and the doctoral student? A two-day symposium was held last week at the ETH main building to answer these and many other questions.
Technical fundamentals for a career kick
News
A new continuing education programme at ETH Zurich provides future managers with technological foundations: the MAS Applied Technology is a kind of "reverse MBA" for people with a background in social sciences or economics.
Boost for the Student Project House
News
A donation of four million francs from Franke will allow the Student Project House to massively expand its offering in the years to come. The “ramp-up” phase kicked off yesterday with a small ceremony.
Out of the lecture hall
News
The Omleth platform helps lecturers to plan and implement outdoor learning courses. It is one of 25 projects to be presented at the first Learning and Teaching Fair at ETH Zurich.
Ensuring a sensible, individualised course of study
News
ETH Zurich has revised its policies regarding curricula. A good occasion to talk with the responsible Vice Rector, Andreas Vaterlaus. He explains the purpose of these principles, which degree courses are currently being worked on and the trends that are emerging in the context of these projects.
The long-term effects of maternal high-fat diets
News
If a mother eats a high-fat diet, this can have a negative effect on the health of her offspring - right down to her great-grandchildren. This is the conclusion drawn by researchers at ETH Zurich from a study with mice.
A good match for innovation
Globe magazine
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in the Swiss economy. Read on to see hwo SMEs and ETH Zurich create marketable innovations based on successful partnerships.
How the world came to be in the computer
News
For the world to be managed and organised using computers, it has to follow the digital logic of machines. Historian David Gugerli tells the story of this thrilling process of adaptation with a marvellously entertaining flair.
Challenge the best in Data Science
News
This autumn will see the launch of a new continuing education programme known as the Diploma of Advanced Studies ETH in Data Science. Quick decision-makers can apply now.
All set for the new semester
News
Today marks the start of the spring semester. A number of lecturers are particularly well prepared for it – such as the five assistants who attended the Learning to Teach course.
Breaking new ground in medical training
News
With plenty of anticipation, ETH Zurich welcomed the first 100 students to its new Bachelor’s degree in human medicine last autumn. The experiences of the first semester have resulted in a lot of enthusiasm – from the lecturers as well as the students.
Dive into the world of molecules
News
Brand new technology in the classroom: students immerse themselves in a “mixed reality” and use HoloLens glasses to learn a fundamental principle of proteins.
A new set of duties for the new year
News
Lorenz Hurni, Vice-Rector for Study Programmes, Gisbert Schneider, Associate Vice President ETH Global, and Lothar Thiele, Associate Vice President for Digital Transformation: Three key posts at ETH Zurich have been newly staffed.
“Our Master’s programme is in great demand”
News
Mathematics is the basis for all the new opportunities opened up by digitalisation. Statistics professor Nicolai Meinshausen discusses the increasing importance of his field and the challenges it faces.
Pure genius
News
Cornelius Senn, a measurement engineer in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (D-BAUG), and his post-doctoral colleague Silvan Leinss have developed a new reflector for radar measurements. The underlying mechanism, however, has many possible applications and could revolutionise furniture construction, for example.
Globi at ETH
News
ETH Zurich received a visit from one of Switzerland’s most famous comic book heroes this morning. While his latest book was presented to media professionals and members of the book trade, Globi entertained a group of around 30 children who had received an exclusive invitation to the event.
Assessing assessments
News
How someone learns depends largely on how they are assessed. To help ETH retain its leading position in the education of young talent, about 100 educational decision makers from ETH Zurich attended a two-day retreat on the topic of assessment.
From start-up to global market leader
Globe magazine
Sensirion and GetYourGuide: two ETH spin-offs in entirely different market sectors, but both highly successful. Their common denominators? Fruitful business ideas, entrepreneurs with the courage to venture into new territory – and the support of the right employees.
An award for ETH building technology
News
ETH researchers have received this year’s Swiss Technology Award for their technology “Mesh Mould”, winning the most important Swiss prize for innovation and technology transfer in the “Inventors” category.
Brain to robot: "move, please"
Globe magazine
Using the power of thought to control a robot that helps to move a paralysed hand: a project from the ETH Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory could fundamentally change the therapy and daily lives of stroke patients.
Studying medicine at ETH
Globe magazine
Beginning in autumn 2017, ETH Zurich will be offering 100 places on its Bachelor’s degree course in medicine, an innovative course that combines medicine with natural sciences.
ETH at Gottardo 2016 public event
News
At the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, ETH Zurich researchers and students from the civil engineering and mechanical engineering departments demonstrated to the audience through practical experiments how new technologies are shaping the future of mobility.
Keeping on researching in Singapore
Globe magazine
Since 2010, ETH Zurich has forged strong?links in Singapore. The Future Cities Laboratory at the Singapore-ETH Centre started recently on its second phase. Reason enough for the "Globe" magazine to take a look at the Swiss research in the city state. ?
Measuring forests with radar
Globe magazine
To find out more about the Earth’s biomass, Irena Hajnsek is collecting data from the air.
Bitten by the business bug
Globe magazine
Following his degree at ETH Zurich, Patrick Anquetil set off for Cambridge, Massachusetts to do a PhD. Having settled on the US East Coast, he is currently launching his second start-up business. And he has big plans for it.
A mathematician of the world
Globe magazine
Michel Liès, CEO of Swiss Re, headed out into the big, wide world when still a young mathemati?cian. For the last thirty years he has been active on the international stage for the Swiss reinsurance company.