Executive Board update 2020 / 2
Following the successful completion of a pilot project, first-year exams can now be taken in two separate blocks in future. The Executive Board has also approved the curricula for a new type of study programme in materials science, as well as the new communication strategy for ETH Zurich.
Everyone can now split exams into two blocks
The Executive Board has decided to allow all departments to split first-year exams into two separate blocks in future. Since the 2016/2017 academic year, a pilot project trialling this split has been running in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, as well as in the study courses Computational Science and Engineering and Human Medicine. Students seem very happy with this new format: almost all of them would decide to split their first-year exams again, as it allows the heavy workload in the first year to be distributed more evenly.
“Splitting first-year exams into two blocks allows faster feedback and more even distribution of the heavy workload. In view of this, all departments are now free to introduce this new format”.Sarah Springman, Rector
Splitting first-year exams leads to fewer students dropping out from university without attempting to sit an exam. However, the new model did not bring any significant improvement in the general pass rate or exam performance of students.
New features in various study courses
It is becoming increasingly important for the university not only to teach essential specialist knowledge, but also to develop students’ personal and social skills. This was partly the motivation for revising the curriculum in the Department of Materials. According to the department’s former Director of Studies, Professor Nicola Spaldin, the main goal is for students to learn concepts rather than categories (see also the Interview with Professor Spaldin). In addition, the Executive Board has revised the curriculum for the BSc in biology, which now has a completely new format in the first four semesters. It has also approved the renaming of the Bachelor’s degree programme in Earth Sciences to “Bachelor in Earth and Climate Sciences". Finally, it has approved a new CAS in “Entrepreneurial Leadership in Technology Ventures”. This is a collaboration between the Department of Management, Technology and Economics and the iELab. It is mandatory for all Pioneer Fellows to have completed this CAS.
Compass for ETH communications
It is almost a decade since the last communication strategy was drawn up, and now ETH Zurich has produced a new version. Based on the Strategy and Development Plan 2021-2024 (SEP), the new strategy defines the communication goals, the target audiences and the core messages for communicating with both internal and external stakeholders.
“We are inspired to produce and disseminate new knowledge, develop solutions for tomorrow’s world and deliver them for the social good”.Core message from the new communication strategy.
The communication strategy does not currently contain concrete measures or innovative formats. Rather it is a compass for the hundred or so centralised and decentralised communication specialists working at ETH Zurich. In addition, it sets out the most important areas of action, such as expanding the dialogue with different stakeholders, or strengthening internal and online communication. In a series of projects – some of them already underway – effective measures will be taken over the coming years to develop innovative formats and flagship projects.
International Chemistry Olympiad 2023 at ETH
The Executive Board welcomes the opportunity to host the International Chemistry Olympiad 2023 (IChO 2023) at ETH Zurich and is granting a deficit guarantee in the amount of CHF 370,000. IChO is an international academic competition for talented high school students interested in chemistry. The total budget for this prestigious international event is CHF 3.3 million. All expenses are covered by contributions from participants and donations. D-CHAB, which is acting as leading house, has already promised funding from its own department reserves.
New ETH representatives in the SEC
New members have been appointed to the Governing Board of the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC). The ETH Executive Board has appointed Mirko Meboldt (D-MAVT) and Viola Vogel (D-HEST) to the Board as replacements for the former President of ETH Zurich, Ralph Eichler, and Nicola Wenderoth (D-HEST).
Greater support for polar exploration
ETH Zurich is joining the Swiss Polar Institute Foundation, whose purpose is to support the Swiss Polar Institute founded in 2016. EPFL is the leading house and apart from ETH Zurich other members include the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and the Universities of Bern and Lausanne.
Open ETH (formerly ETH +), third round
Last autumn saw the start of the third round of the ETH funding instrument Open ETH, renamed from ETH+. From the applications received, the Executive Board has now selected the idea sketch EXCLAIM and invited the applicants to submit a full proposal. The acronym EXCLAIM stands for “Extreme scale computing and data platform for cloud-resolving weather and climate modelling”. Using exascale computing, it aims to develop significantly more accurate climate and weather models than those currently available. To make this possible, existing models need to undergo fundamental redesign and recoding. The initiative is being proposed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the departments of Environmental Systems Science, Computer Science and Physics, along with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). MeteoSwiss, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) are involved as well.
New strategy for the ETH Zurich Collections and Archives
Digital transformation offers ETH Zurich’s Collections and Archives new opportunities for networking and dissemination. There are new ways for researchers, students and the general public to access objects, works and documents in the collections. These facilities make an important contribution towards the university’s success and its interaction with Swiss society. In order to exploit this potential even more effectively, a new “Collections and Archives Strategy Plan 2021 to 2024” has been drawn up on the instructions of the Vice President for Infrastructure. In the coming years, the focus will be on promoting interaction with the public, strengthening cooperation with departments in the areas of research and teaching, and optimising the use of the ETH Library’s IT know-how for the benefit of all of ETH Zurich’s collections and archives. The Executive Board has approved the new strategy and instructed Vice President Ulrich Weidmann to implement the plan with the involvement of the departments.
“The new strategy offers a framework for Collections and Archives that is aligned with ETH Zurich’s Strategy and Development Plan, enabling us to exploit the opportunities presented by digitalisation and to intensify its dialogue with the public”.Ulrich Weidmann, Vice President for Infrastructure, Acting Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership