Notice from the Rector about exchange study programmes
Consequences of the initiative on mass immigration that was approved on 9 February 2014?
Dear ETH students
In recent days, many of you have been asking the Rectorate and me personally about the consequences of the initiative on mass immigration that was approved on 9 February 2014. The honest answer is: I don't know. The initiative has resulted in an amendment to the constitution expressed in general terms, which will only be made more specific in an implementing act that has yet to be formulated. This only has to be done within the next three years, and the political process can continue even after that. At present we can only speculate on what form the regulations will take and exactly what effects the acceptance of the initiative will have. So you see, we must all have a little patience for now.
On the other hand, what I do know is that international exchange is a key element in education and research. The ETH Executive Board, along with the executive committees of all the other universities in Switzerland, is actively engaged in attempting to persuade the relevant authorities in Bern of this fact. My personal impression is that nearly everyone we speak to at national level is aware of the central role of education and research, and that the vital importance of international exchange to Switzerland's economic well-being is undisputed. At the same time, we must take account of the justified anxieties and concerns of other sections of the population, and find a politically viable compromise. We have been down this route often in the past, and usually successfully, but it is a long one, and the outcome cannot as yet be predicted.
In the meantime, the Executive Board will take a pragmatic and unbureaucratic approach to ensuring that ETH Zurich continues to be an open, internationally recognised centre for education. We can distinguish between three phases:
- For ETH students who have already started a study visit abroad, and for students from abroad who are already at ETH Zurich, nothing will change for the time being.
- During the transitional period – before the implementing act comes into force – ETH Zurich will attempt to find solutions within the framework of existing exchange programmes. The bilateral agreements that ETH Zurich has reached with many universities all over the world are not affected and will continue. Internal ETH funding will be provided for the suspended Erasmus+ programme, if this does not happen at federal level. This funding will allow ETH students to study abroad and, equally, international students who wish to do so will continue to be able to take part in exchange programmes at ETH Zurich.
- Once the implementing act comes into force, ETH Zurich will fully explore all the possibilities and ensure that ETH continues to be an outstanding, internationally networked university. We will take the appropriate action in good time. We will discuss these matters in close consultation with VSETH and AVETH and keep you informed.
Finally, I would like to ask you not to allow yourselves to be too distracted by these events, but to continue to devote yourself to your studies with the same commitment and passion. If you are interested in studying abroad, please contact http://www.mobilitaet.ethz.ch, where the specialists in the Rectorate will be able to advise you. Do also talk to your professors. They have a great many contacts worldwide and will be able to organise, for example, Master thesis placements for you at other universities.
It is important to me personally that ETH Zurich remains a university that is open to the world, and that together we continue to cultivate and build on our welcoming culture. I shall be very grateful for your support in this. You will be contributing not only to your own personal career progression, but also to the success of ETH Zurich and of Switzerland.
Lino Guzzella
Rector of ETH Zurich