ETH News

This past weekend, 67 teams from 24 countries competed in ETH Zurich’s Cybathlon – fighting not only for victory, but also for the advancement of assistance technologies that are more suitable for everyday use. The third edition of the competition for people with disabilities and experimental assistive technologies was a complete success.

Steering and navigating manual wheelchairs on pavements costs wheelchair users a lot of energy and places a strain on their joints. Two ETH employees have discovered a brilliant and simple solution that they are now developing further to bring to market.

Taking place for the first time at Cybathlon 2024 is the Assistance Robot Race, with ETH  represented by Team RSL. When paraplegic pilot Sammy Kunz navigates the course, a four-legged robot will be at his side. 

For those with a conventional leg prosthesis, climbing stairs and negotiating uneven terrain are almost insurmountable obstacles. But drawing on ETH expertise, Team Ottobock.X3 has now designed an intelligent prosthesis that helps its wearer move about more freely.

In the international Cybathlon competition, people with physical disabilities undertake routine tasks with the aid of assistive technology that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday life. Below, we present three ETH teams that will be putting their innovative solutions to the test at this October’s event.

This year’s Cybathlon introduces a new discipline, the Vision Assistance Race. Lining up to go is Team SightGuide – a joint venture between UZH, ZHAW and ETH.

From 25 to 27 October, the third Cybathlon will take place in the Swiss Arena in Kloten, Switzerland. This is the world’s largest competition in which people with disabilities master everyday tasks with the help of newly developed assistive technologies. For this Cybathlon, the six existing disciplines were further developed, and two new ones added: a race with intelligent vision assistive technologies and one with assistant robots.

Since 1991, 14 June has in Switzerland traditionally stood under the banner of feminist campaigns and causes. Julia Dannath, Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership, explains in an interview why commitment to equal opportunities and gender equality is still needed three decades later – including at ETH Zurich.

The new “Mobility and Inclusion” exhibition at ETH Zurich lets people find out first-hand the obstacles faced by people with impairments along with the technical aids available. From 2025, it will be on display as a permanent exhibition at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.

What began as a venture quickly proved its worth: The ETH Bachelor in Human Medicine is well received by graduates and has helped to establish ETH Zurich in the Swiss medical education landscape. In a video, five graduates talk about what makes studying medicine at ETH so special.

A newspaper article about a study conducted by the University of Zurich claims that women students are less ambitious than their male counterparts and not interested in pursuing a career. Julia Dannath, Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership, comments on why this conclusion has alienated her.

To mark Sexual Harassment Awareness Day at Swiss universities, Vice President Julia Dannath analyses the situation at ETH Zurich, explains what anonymous reports can and cannot achieve, and presents what she believes is most needed to effectively combat sexual harassment.

What is it like to study computer science at ETH? 33 female high school students attended a one-week taster course in February to find out.

What is the status of equality at ETH? What challenges do our female students face? Young women provide information on International Women's Day.

The grass-roots movement founded by architectural students and scientific staff has been awarded the Prix Meret Oppenheim in recognition of its engagement in driving fundamental change in the Department of Architecture of ETH Zurich.

One of the greatest unknowns in climate change is the question of how particulate matter affects clouds. Yu Wang is using machine learning and satellite data to investigate the surprising role of these tiny particles in the atmosphere.

Are we witnessing the rise of a different, adaptive artificial intelligence (AI) that works with humans and supports them with smart decisions? Computer scientist Niao He is investigating how this kind of AI can be theoretically underpinned so that it really does provide benefits.

How does water seep through porous rock? Investigating this question with a mathematical model was the starting point for Barbara Dembin’s research. The mathematician is generating new insights in what is known as percolation theory.

In her research as a number theorist, Sarah Zerbes focuses on one of the oldest – but also most topical – branches of mathematics. Her work is closely tied to one of the great open mathematical problems, the solution for which carries a prize of one million dollars.  

To mark International Women’s Day taking place today, Julia Dannath, Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership, explains why there is still a long way to go in achieving a gender balance at ETH Zurich, and what measures are being put in place to reach this goal.  

The outgoing Rector, Sarah Springman, reflects on where and how promoting women makes sense and what it means to be successful in this area.

This year Forbes 30 under 30 – Europe named doctoral candidate, Nicole Aegerter to its Manufacturing and Industry list for being the first to efficiently manufacture thermoplastic composites for large, high-volume structures. Her journey reveals how to survive the lows of becoming an inventor.

Discrimination and harassment violate scientific integrity – but the damage they do goes beyond that. According to Janet Hering, they also represent a waste of resources including energy, talent, finances, reputation and culture.

ETH Zurich is committed to getting children interested in science and technology. For example, students from ETH Zurich and PHGR (University of Teacher Education Graubünden) jointly trained children for the robotics competition entitled "First Lego League". Two teams made it to the finals, one of which was received by ETH Rector Sarah Springman for a visit.

Katharina Fellnhofer researches how intuitive decision-making influences personal success. She is convinced that people who follow their intuition tend to be more successful in their decision-making. 

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.

Optimised on-farm grain storage boosts food security in sub-Saharan Africa, as an ETH study in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic shows.

The current episode of the ETH Podcast is dedicated to the Cybathlon, a competition for people with physical disabilities. We have spoken with two project contributors.

Since 2014, "equal! The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity" has documented the status of equal opportunities for men and women at ETH Zurich in an annual Gender Monitoring report. The latest report has been renamed “Equality Monitoring”, as it also addresses the topic of diversity.

On 1 September, the Rosengarten student residence located on Bucheggstrasse in Zurich will open its doors. The 18 shared housing units offer an affordable place to live tailored to the needs of its 130 student residents. At the same time, the district of Wipkingen will benefit from facilities and services for childcare, commercial space and a public park. SSWZ (Foundation for Student Housing Zurich), which was in charge of the project, opened the new building to the public for the first time today.

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 Joël 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.

New research from ETH Zurich shows that holding events for new students before they enter university is an investment that pays off. Incoming students benefit from the chance to meet, mingle and form friendships at orientation events, which contributes to their long-term academic success.

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.

Renana and Roi Poranne both research and work at ETH Zurich. How do they shape life between research and family?

400 secondary school students visited the winner of the 2018 Fields Medal, Alessio Figalli. You don't have to be a genius to do mathematics, said Figalli.

At the sixth Times Higher Education (THE) World Academic Summit, experts from the research community and higher education explored and reflected on how digitalisation is changing higher education and on nurturing of talent. ETH Zurich hosted the conference.

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.

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.

What does it mean when the first professor recommended for dismissal in 164 years is female? Eawag Director Janet Hering addresses three areas to develop in terms of ETH governance.

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.

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.

Many small, local steps may lead more sustainably to peace than big dreams of the perfect state. This principle lies at the heart of an innovative approach to conflict mediation developed by a Kenyan mediator and an ETH researcher.

What do liquid chocolate and the movements of satellites have in common? Jagna Wiśniewska is intrigued by such mathematical puzzles. Together with seven other women, she will show in the goMATH series of events at ETH Zurich why she is fascinated by mathematics.

February 11^th is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. ETH Rector Sarah Springman emphasizes the importance of women in scientific research.

For the first time, ETH Zurich invited the 100 best school girls from the Mathematical Kangaroo competition.

They tend to fly under the radar, but they are there: the LGBT students at ETH. In a spirit of openness, a rainbow banner will be displayed at ETH Zurich’s main building during the Zurich Pride Festival.

ETH computer scientist Bernd Gärtner explains why even youngsters should get to grips with computer science.

“Everything begins and ends with family,” said ETH President Lino Guzzella at the Executive Board’s drinks reception in 2017. But is it really possible to combine top-class research with a fulfilled family life? And can you have a career at ETH if you are a parent?

Özlem Imamoglu has been fascinated by the hidden properties of numbers since she was a child. The ETH professor is also committed to helping more women pursue careers in mathematics.

What role does technology play in equality for people with disabilities? Experts and scientists have been discussing this question in the run-up to the world’s first Cybathlon at ETH Zurich.

Ultrafast processes beyond the human imagination occur in nature, but basic research has been able to measure and explore them only since the turn of the millennium. A book and an exhibition by the National Centre of Competence in Research Molecular Ultrafast Science and Technology (NCCR MUST) now connect this to everyday life by inviting you on a journey into time.

Two years after its launch, an evaluation of ETH Zurich’s Gender Action Plan has confirmed a greater awareness of gender equality issues within ETH. However, it will take a while longer before there is a significant increase in the proportion of female students and professors.

Katharina Poiger Ruloff will take over as ETH Zurich Secretary General from 1 October 2016. The Executive Board has announced her as the successor to the current Secretary General, Hugo Bretscher.

Ralph Schlapbach was presented with the Golden Tricycle Award at the Executive Board’s Christmas reception this year. The award recognises the father of three as the most family-friendly supervisor at ETH Zurich.

When researchers from abroad move to ETH Zurich, their partners often try to find a new job in Switzerland as well. In order to be able to help them more with their job search, ETH Zurich has recently joined the International Dual Career Network (IDCN).

For 20 years Equal has been committed to securing adequate conditions for men and women at ETH Zurich. The Office for Equal Opportunities at ETH Zurich is celebrating this anniversary with an exhibition and a panel discussion.