ETH News

ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne (EPFL) are intensifying their collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI). They have founded the Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI) with the aim of addressing challenges in AI by leveraging their broad scientific expertise. Funding for the related research programs has been secured.

The Gloria Cube is ETH Zurich’s newest building in the Zurich City university district. Teaching, research and translation are all carried out in the service of health and medicine here. At the end of last week, ETH Zurich celebrated the laboratory and research building’s inauguration.

ETH Zurich’s new BSS teaching and research building on the Schällemätteli life science campus in Basel will officially open its doors today. The building will host ETH researchers from the fields of experimental biology, bioinformatics, and bioengineering as they work together with outside partners on innovative medical solutions.

The idea of ETH Zurich establishing a Department of Biosystems in Basel once seemed unachievable. Today, the department occupies a new building where the dividing lines between biology, computer science and engineering are blurred – and researchers increasingly focus on medical applications

At its meeting of 6 and 7 March 2024 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed nine professors. The Board also awarded the title of "Professor" three times and the title of "Professor of Practice" once.

At its meeting of 6 and 7 December 2023 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed twelve professors and awarded the title "Professor of Practice" once.  

At its meeting of 20 and 21 September 2023 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed five professors and awarded the title of professor three times.

An ETH Zurich architectural centrepiece – the machine laboratory– has been renovated. The historically significant machine hall has been extensively restored to its original condition. The renovation provides ETH with additional space for research and teaching.

At its meeting of 12 and 13 July 2023 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed ten professors.

At its meeting of 24 and 25 May 2023 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed nine professors and awarded the title of professor twice. At the same time, the Board also bid farewell to nine professors and thanked them for their service.

From 2016 to 2022, Thomas Zurbuchen was responsible for research at NASA, the US space agency. From August this year, he will become director of ETH Zurich Space. This initiative aims to promote space research and teaching at ETH and to expand and strengthen cooperation with the space industry.

ETH Zurich is boosting its medical research and establishing a new site in Schlieren. It is leasing a new building (SSA) right next to the Bio-Technopark in Schlieren; the site is currently being set up as a laboratory building for medical research.

At its meeting of 8 and 9 March and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed 14 professors and awarded the title of professor five times. At the same time, the Board also bid farewell to three professors and thanked them for their service.

At its meeting of 7 and 8 December 2022 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed four professors and awarded the title of professor once. At the same time, the Board also bid farewell to eight professors and thanked them for their service.

At its meeting of 21 and 22 September 2022 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed four professors and awarded the title of “Professor of Practice” once.

At its meeting of 13/14 July 2022 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed twelve professors. At the same time, the Board also bid farewell to four professors and thanked them for their service.

At its meeting of 18 and 19 May and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed 13 professors and awarded the title of professor four times. At the same time, the Board also bid farewell to 15 professors and thanked them for their service.

At its meeting of 9 and 10 March 2022 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed ten professors and awarded the title of professor twice.  

At its meeting of 8 and 9 December 2021 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed ten professors and awarded the title of professor twice.

Following the pilot project at the Hönggerberg campus, ETH Zurich is opening a Student Project House on its Zentrum campus. Students can now make their ideas a reality, in the heart of Zurich, and away from the pressure of grades. At their disposal are 1,200 square metres of renovated space, distributed across five floors.

At its meeting of 22 and 23 September and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed six professors. At the same time, the Board also bid farewell to six professors and thanked them for their service.

At its meeting of 14 July 2021 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed ten professors. Six of them are affiliated with the Department of Architecture.

At its meeting of 19 and 21 March 2021 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed nine professors and awarded the title of professor once. Among the new appointees is a Swiss Nobel laureate.

The most capable geotechnical research centrifuge in Europe is currently being built on the Hönggerberg campus. It will enable researchers to simulate geotechnical structures, such as foundations, dams and tunnels, and the effects of natural hazards, such as earthquakes, landslides, flooding and tsunamis. The centrifuge itself was installed on Wednesday with meticulous precision.

To mark International Women’s Day 2021, Julia Dannath-Schuh, Vice President of Personnel Development and Leadership, reflects on equal opportunities and the advancement of women at ETH. Her conclusion: The ETH community must become more female – at every level.

At its meeting of 3 and 4 March 2021 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed 7 professors. In addition, two scientists were awarded the title of professor.

A digital twin of our planet is to simulate the Earth system in future. It is intended to support policy-makers in taking appropriate measures to better prepare for extreme events. A new strategy paper by European scientists and ETH Zurich computer scientists shows how this can be achieved.

An extraordinary year is drawing to a close. ETH News takes a look back at the highlights that emerged amidst difficult and unsettling times, at ingenious ideas, fascinating science and solidarity in action during – and despite – the coronavirus pandemic.

At its meeting of 9 and 10 December 2020 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed 14 professors. They will work in a total of ten departments in a wide range of research areas. In addition, an ecotoxicologist was awarded the title of professor.

The national library platform Swisscovery gives users access to the full range of scientific resources from 470 libraries in Switzerland. Swisscovery is run by Swiss Library Service Platform (SLSP). The project was initiated by the ETH Library.

Well-trained, dedicated engineers from Africa will play an increasing role in industrial development in sub-Saharan Africa. This is what has inspired ETH Zurich to join forces with Ashesi University in Ghana and Swiss companies ABB, BarryCallebaut, Bühler, Lafarge-Holcim and Nestlé to co-present a new Master’s degree programme.

ETH students should have opportunities to realise their ideas. To meet this need, ETH Zurich is building a new centre for student initiatives and entrepreneurial talent at its Hönggerberg campus. The winner of the architectural competition is the EQUILIBRES project designed by ARGE Buchner Bründler Planer / Rapp Architekten.

Implementation of the “ETH Campus Hönggerberg 2040” vision has taken a major step forward. Zurich’s municipal council approved the outlines of the plans for the future campus development with few changes.

ETH Zurich launched a new medical curriculum as a pilot programme three years ago. Lecturers and students alike have had a thoroughly positive experience. ETH will now continue its Bachelor’s course in human medicine as a regular course from 2021, marking the end of its start-up phase.

From cancer research to high-performance computers and printed biomaterials: at its meeting of 23 and 24 September 2020 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed a total of seven professors from a wide range of research areas. In addition, a mathematical statistician was awarded the title of professor.

ETH Zurich is expanding its Executive Board with two new domains. At the request of ETH President Joël Mesot, the ETH Board has appointed Julia Dannath-Schuh as the new Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership, and Vanessa Wood as the new Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations.

In the current round of appointments, four men and four women were appointed or promoted to ETH professors. Thematically, this time the focus is on mathematics and computer science. In addition, the new professorships strengthen the environmental sciences, physics and chemistry at ETH Zurich.

For the past year, a team of apprentices has been carrying out real-world tasks and projects for the ETH community. An initial review of the pilot project shows that this hands-on approach works: the programme has allowed young trainees in the fields of IT, interactive media design and business administration to acquire important skills for the working world. 

The Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems has established itself as an address for AI research and the promotion of young scientists. "We answer pressing questions that arise today," says its co-director Thomas Hoffmann.

Despite the coronavirus lockdown, the renovation and extension of Früebüel research station in Walchwil (Canton of Zug) was completed nearly on schedule. AgroVet–Strickhof, a research cooperative supported by ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and Strickhof, now has state-of-the-art research and higher education facilities at its four locations.

In May 2020, the "Inforaum HGZZ" has moved from its previous location at the University Hospital Zurich to the "Alte Druckerei” at the University of Zurich.

Difficulties with schoolwork? “Lern mit mir” (Learn with me) is a platform for pupils that gives them access to their own personal tutor. ETH’s Vocational Education and Training division is heading the programme.

Experimental epidemiology; bio-​inspired micro- and nanorobotics; ultrafast processes in materials; forest resources Management; construction heritage and preservation; social networks: the incoming professors work in a wide range of cutting-​edge research fields.

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.

The coronavirus crisis forced ETH Zurich to suspend its experimental research activity and switch to virtual teaching at short notice. A report from the Department of Physics reveals the impact of the seismic switch on a practical level.

ETH Zurich has been in lockdown for more than two weeks now. Although many projects have been put on hold, research relevant to the coronavirus has gathered speed. Many projects and initiatives are currently underway that are intended to help bring the pandemic under control.

Coronavirus testing is an essential part of identifying infected people and curbing the spread of the pandemic. To speed up the testing process, the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich has made its laboratory equipment available to the canton of Thurgau.

ETH Zurich is developing its campus of the future at Hönggerberg – today, the city council of Zurich set another milestone in the development of an urban campus for teaching, research and exchange.

At its last meeting, the ETH Board appointed a total of 19 new professors at the request of the President of ETH Zurich, Joël Mesot.

The uncertainty created by the coronavirus continues to build. What precautions are ETH taking? In this interview, Ulrich Weidmann, Vice President for Infrastructure and Personnel Development discusses the current situation.

Cancer’s genetic causes are more diverse than previous scientific studies have indicated – a conclusion reached by researchers from ETH Zurich and University Hospital Zurich. Through their participation in an international research collaboration, they helped compile the most comprehensive catalogue to date of gene alterations associated with cancer. Their work was based on the analysis of whole cancer genomes.

Computer science at school can be very creative. On the tenth Swiss Day for Computer Science Teaching, ETH Zurich provided teachers from all levels of schooling with new approaches to teaching computer science. The Rector also honoured schools and teachers who are committed to lively computer science lessons.

ETH Zurich has won the Swiss Watt d’Or Energy Prize for its dynamic underground storage system at the Hönggerberg campus. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Energy has recognised ETH for energy excellence in the category of “Buildings and space”.

The Campus Hönggerberg 2040 project lays out a vision for the ETH campus of the future. At the same time, however, space is becoming increasingly scarce for ETH. Why is that? And how can we overcome this challenge in order to create inspiring workplaces?

The administrative investigation into allegations in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering has shown that no laws were broken, although pressure was exerted on some doctoral students through employment contracts and there were errors in how some employment contracts were drawn up. ETH has taken appropriate measures and is strengthening internal controls. The department and the professor involved are working to improve the supervision of doctoral students.

At its meeting of 11/12 December 2019 and upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Joël Mesot, the ETH Board appointed a total of 19 professors. Three scientists were awarded the title of professor.

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.

Two ETH Zurich projects and one with ETH involvement have been awarded one of the coveted ERC Synergy Grants. These EU grants offer up to EUR 14 million to promote interdisciplinary collaboration on research projects.

Next Monday, some 4,300 new Bachelor’s and Master’s students will embark on the autumn semester at ETH Zurich. This represents a continuation of last year’s growth at both levels.

In the second round of ETH+, the Executive Board’s funding instrument for new research ideas and exchange between disciplines and departments, five new initiatives were selected. These address a range of topics, from living materials to quantum science.

ETH researchers can’t always obtain their findings in the comfort of their offices or simply by using a computer. The summer quiz is all about fascinating research facilities, complex experiments and a special infrastructure.

On the recommendation of ETH President Joël Mesot, the ETH Board appointed several new ETH professors during its meeting on 10 and 11 July 2019.

In 2020 and in subsequent years, no Formula E race will be held around the ETH Hönggerberg campus. The extensive construction measures required for the race infrastructure contradict the ethos of a sustainable campus.

ETH Zurich is adopting a new leadership structure: the number of Executive Board domains is being expanded from five to seven in order to respond to the growing demands in leadership and staff development, as well as in knowledge transfer and corporate relations.

How will the energy consumption habits of Switzerland change when more consumers use local energy storage options? How will this affect the grids, tariffs and data privacy? ETH Zurich, the Paul Scherrer Institute and Empa have jointly established the new energy research platform ReMaP to find answers to these interlinked questions.

On the recommendation of ETH President Joël Mesot, the ETH Board appointed several new ETH professors and conferred the title of ETH professor on two researchers during its meeting on 22 and 23 May 2019. All the new appointments consciously connect their subject expertise with other disciplines.

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.

ETH is without doubt one of the most prestigious institutions when it comes to attracting prospective students. Perhaps less well known, however, is the fact that our university offers apprentices the opportunity to learn 15 different trades. life takes a look at the various specialist training options at ETH.

A number of recent media reports on the request for dismissal of an ETH astronomy professor have included quotes from internal and confidential documents relating to the ongoing proceedings. Given the growing public interest, as well as the need to ensure transparency and fairness, ETH Zurich has decided to publish anonymised versions of the final report of the administrative investigation and the recommendation of the special committee.

ETH Zurich provides an official comment on articles published recently in the online magazine Republik.

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.

If the federal popular initiative for a blanket ban on animal testing succeeds, drug development in Switzerland would become virtually impossible, ETH Vice President Detlef Günther believes.

What makes an ETH education so good – and what could make it even better? Rector Sarah Springman chatted to alumni Lorenz Meier and Kevin Sartori, founders of a drone software company.

The ETH Zurich Executive Board is submitting a request to the ETH Board for the dismissal of a professor, while simultaneously launching a package of measures to improve the quality of leadership and supervision at ETH. ETH President Joël Mesot provides more details in this interview.

ETH Zurich has submitted a request to the ETH Board to terminate the employment relationship with a professor in the former Institute for Astronomy. To avoid as far as possible similar cases from escalating in future, ETH Zurich is adapting its structures and processes and is launching a comprehensive package of measures to improve the quality of leadership and supervision at the university.

The ETH Board has appointed or promoted nine new professors, six of them working in the fields of biology and biomedicine. For the first time, these candidates were proposed by the new ETH President, Joël Mesot. They include a high proportion of women: over forty percent.

Intelligent data science approaches are changing science, the economy and society. In a new interdisciplinary initiative, ETH researchers from the fields of mathematics, computer science and information technology are therefore increasingly dedicating themselves to the foundations of data science.  

Today ETH Zurich announced that the disciplinary investigation into allegations against a professor in the architecture department had been concluded. ETH President Joël Mesot summarises the situation and explains what ETH can learn from it.

The disciplinary investigation into the case of a professor in the Department of Architecture (D-ARCH) has now been concluded. The professor has been cleared of the allegation of sexual harassment, but was found to be in breach of ETH Zurich’s Compliance Guide. He has decided to leave the university.

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.

ETH Zurich is fostering responsible air travel to help resolve the conflict between international research activities and climate protection. ETH units worked together to set targets for reducing flight-related CO₂ emissions.

Students who prepare for their exams with friends are more likely to succeed. Sociologists from ETH Zurich examined how networks among Bachelor’s students influenced their exam results in the first year. Their results show that informal relationships and friendships are just as important as self-motivation and discipline.

The first architectural projects for Zurich’s central university district have been revealed: The designs for the "USZ Kernareal" come from Christ & Gantenbein, those for the FORUM UZH from Herzog & de Meuron.

Joël Mesot, who became the university’s new president on the first of January, says he is starting the job “with enormous enthusiasm for ETH and excitement about the new challenge”.

Outgoing President Lino Guzzella led ETH for four years. We asked politicians, business representatives and ETH members what he was like as a president and how he shaped our university.

On the recommendation of ETH President Lino Guzzella, the ETH Board has appointed or promoted 12 ETH professors. Notably, this round of appointments had a high proportion of women: 40 percent.

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.

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.

ETH Zurich is opening dismissal proceedings against a professor at the former Institute for Astronomy. This decision is based on the comprehensive administrative investigation commissioned by the ETH Executive Board a year ago.

Switzerland’s Federal Council has appointed Joël Mesot, Director of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), as the new President of ETH Zurich. On 1 January 2019 Joël Mesot will take over from the current President, Lino Guzzella, who has continued to build the university’s formidable international reputation over the past four years.

Earth sciences and chemistry, computer and materials science, nutrition and architecture: the incoming professors work in a wide range of very timely research fields. Seven ETH professors will soon leave the university.

Today, the University of Basel and ETH Zurich co-founded the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH) in Basel. They bring together top scientists and clinical researchers from a variety of disciplines in order to develop new methods and digital innovations for global use in paediatrics. The BRCCH is funded by a CHF 100 million contribution from Fondation Botnar in Basel.

To secure ETH’s leading position in the long term, the university launched the ETH+ initiative at the end of last year. The focus is on creating new professorships in future-oriented disciplines. Today, the Executive Board announced which projects will receive funding first and what is next for the initiative.

ETH Zurich is opening a disciplinary investigation to look into allegations of harassment made against a professor in the Department of Architecture.

Next Monday, some 4,500 new Bachelor's and Master's students will embark on the autumn semester at ETH Zurich – more than ever before. All levels show an increase, with Master's programmes contributing most to the record number. Computer science is growing particularly vigorously.

The Citizen Science Center of UZH and ETH is ready to hit the ground running. With the new Participatory Science Academy, it aims to bring citizen science to a new level. In this interview, co-director Mike Martin, professor of gerontopsychology at UZH, co-founder Effy Vayena, professor of bioethics at ETH, and managing director Rosy Mondardini explain the concept and future plans for the center.

An independent commission of inquiry led by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) with the participation of ETH Zurich has investigated the publications of ETH Professor Olivier Voinnet’s former research group at the CNRS. The inquiry uncovered manipulation of certain figures. However, the commission’s report confirms that Voinnet did not personally initiate this manipulation.

Today ETH Zurich celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for its new building on the Schällemätteli campus in Basel. As from 2022, all the research groups at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering will be united under one roof, in close proximity to important partners.

At the togETHer staff party, Professor Laura Nyström was presented with the ALEA Award as ETH Zurich’s most exemplary leader. The award, presented annually, aims to emphasise the huge importance of leadership skills for the success of ETH and to promote the desired leadership culture.

Roger Wattenhofer thinks that programming interfaces are underestimated. They would offer enormous opportunities – if the authorities got involved.