ETH News

Marco Mazzotti will be conferred emeritus status at the end of January 2025. A good reason for a portrait of this dedicated process engineer, who came to his field of research quite unexpectedly.

ETH doctoral student Rolf Imseng comes from a working class family. Together with ETH Vice-President Julia Dannath and ETH Professor Ursula Renold, he talks about the hurdles that his background brings with it. A conversation about social mobility in Switzerland.

Challenges and setbacks can strengthen students’ resilience and are an important aspect of learning. This is why the Student Project House adopts the “fail-forward” approach. An essay by Moritz Mussgnug about mistakes and failure.

At its meeting of 18 and 19 September 2024 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed fifteen professors. The Board also awarded the title of "Professor of Practice" once.

Just last year, the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich AMZ reclaimed a world record title. Now, the student team has wrapped up their Formula Student racing season this year with an unmatched performance that exceeds that of all other student race teams in the circuit.

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.

Helping to shape the digital transformation, empowering brilliant young talent and more research for the health of children and adolescents: the ETH Foundation's annual report shows what the commitment of more than 2700 donors and partners has achieved for a wide range of topics in 2023.

Environmental scientist Alice Pradel cultivates ice cores in the lab to investigate the transport and accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics. Her aim in doing so is to better understand material flows in the Arctic ice.

Sport and an interest in healthy eating took Martina Pfeiffer first to ETH Zurich and then to Swiss beverage producer Rivella. Her active lifestyle has always kept her at the top of her game.  

Studying at ETH Zurich is demanding, and all students have their own personal hurdles to overcome. This video series portrays ETH students.

Studying at ETH Zurich is demanding, and all students have their own personal hurdles to overcome. This video series portrays ETH students.

Studying at ETH Zurich is demanding, and all students have their own personal hurdles to overcome. This video series portrays ETH students.

Newly elected members of the Swiss National Council are often confronted with a bewildering array of complex issues. ETH Zurich organised a special two-day seminar to equip them with scientific expertise in key policy areas.

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.

Working in a greenhouse is both strenuous and time-consuming. The picking robot from ETH spin-off Floating Robotics takes on particularly repetitive tasks, thereby alleviating the strain on human pickers. It is currently undergoing testing at Beerstecher AG in Hinwil.

Raphael Steiner received his doctorate in mathematics at the age of 21. Now the Swiss National Science Foundation is funding his research at ETH Zurich in the field of graph theory. Among other things, this involves proving a conjecture that is over 80 years old.

For her doctoral project at ETH Zurich, Sabrina Badir developed a device that determines the risk of premature birth. Today she is the CEO of spin-off Pregnolia, and her certified measuring device is being used in more than 20 clinics and medical practices.

Marianne Schmid Daners was already fascinated by the human-technology interface when she worked as a registered nurse. Since graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in biomedical engineering, she has been developing biomedical devices for the treatment of heart failure and hydrocephalus.

Mohammed Said is in his third semester of the Bachelor of Human Medicine at ETH Zurich. He plans to work abroad as a doctor and researcher one day and put his knowledge into practice in countries where people are not as fortunate as in Switzerland.

Clara Ehrenzeller studied human medicine at ETH Zurich. Aspects of her course that she will never forget were her six-week research internship at a children’s hospital in Canada and her deployment at the Kantonsspital Baden. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Ticino.

Whether on research vessels or testing her limits as an analog astronaut and pilot, alumna Sandra Herrmann has an irrepressible appetite for adventure, fuelled in part by her experiences at ETH Zurich.

Of the 13 scientists receiving an SNSF Starting Grant for projects at ETH Zurich this year, 11 are women.

Dimos Poulikakos is retiring in January 2024. The ETH Professor of Thermodynamics has developed many practical applications. His lectures on the fundamentals of thermodynamics have delighted more than 8,000 students; now he passes on a piece of advice for aspiring researchers.

Sparkling water on the go at the touch of a button and entirely plastic-free. The new water bottle by ETH spin-off bottleplus makes this possible.

ETH Zurich researchers show in a new study that a short reflection exercise to boost self confidence increases job search success. This holds true even for the long-term unemployed and people over 50.

Studying at ETH Zurich is challenging, and all students have their personal hurdles to overcome. This video series shows personal portraits of ETH students.

Studying at ETH Zurich is challenging, and all students have their personal hurdles to overcome. This video series shows personal portraits of ETH students.

Studying at ETH Zurich is challenging, and all students have their personal hurdles to overcome. This video series shows personal portraits of ETH students.

Students from ETH Zurich and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts have broken the previous world record for acceleration with their hand-built electric racing car, mythen. The vehicle accelerated from zero to 100 km/h in 0.956 seconds over a distance of 12.3 metres.

Using a new analytical method, ETH Zurich doctoral student Julie Lestang aims to determine the chemical profile of cacao beans reliably and quickly. This forms the basis for controlled fermentation – and high-quality chocolate.

ETH alumnus Fabian Unteregger is one of Switzerland’s most successful cabaret artists. But bringing people together and coming up with solutions is where his passion lies.

The 55th International Chemistry Olympiad ended with a closing ceremony on Monday afternoon, 24 July. Out of 348 participants, 217 were awarded gold, sil-ver, or bronze medals. The Swiss team took home an "honourable mention."

ETH Zurich will host the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) between 16 and 25 July. More than 300 young scientists from some 90 countries are expected to participate. This is the first time that Switzerland is hosting the event.

During her doctoral studies, Liliane Ableitner developed a trading and billing tool for energy communities. Three years on, she is CEO of a flourishing start-up with 20 employees.

Professor Wendelin Stark and Nevena Paunović were both chemistry Olympians. In 2023, they will return to the Olympiad in new roles. In this interview, they reveal how the Olympiad has influenced their lives and careers, and what participants can expect from the host country and the competition.

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.

This doesn’t happen often: For his final project, an electronics apprentice at ETH Zurich produced a test device that will save physicists a lot of time in developing a novel microscope. His work has been published in a scientific journal.

On Friday, an era came to an end. For 20 years, Robert Perich helped to shape the development of ETH Zurich as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), restructured Finance & Controlling and developed it into an instrument of university management. It was important to him that the professorships and departments manage their funds autonomously and that ETH pursue a sustainable financial policy.

Researching the origins of life, supporting outstanding students and providing a boost for the new meeting place for students and the entrepreneurial community: the current Annual Report of the ETH Foundation provides an insight into what the great commitment of over 2,900 donors and partners made possible at ETH Zurich last year.

Stefan Spiegel will head up Finance and Controlling at ETH Zurich starting on 1 April 2023. The 52-year-old Swiss manager and finance expert boasts extensive leadership experience in state-affiliated firms and stock-listed companies.

Atmospheric chemist Thomas Peter retired at the end of January. A profile of a man who taught us about the properties and processes of suspended particles and helped shape the second-largest department at ETH Zurich.

In the latest episode of the “Student Stories” series, Jan Blum talks about his everyday life as a hard-of-hearing Bachelor’s student, the difficulties he faced when he started studying computer science and what helped him combat the feeling of being the odd one out.

When doctoral student Panagiotis Martakis started studying civil engineering, he soon realised that he wasn’t happy with his choice of subject. In the latest episode of the “Student Stories” series, he explains why you should spend more time exploring other disciplines.

In the ETH podcast two former students look back on how their time at ETH shaped them. Looking back, the impossible is somehow possible, you just have to take one step at a time.

The ETH Board has appointed Christian Wolfrum as Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich effective 1 January 2023. In his roles as Professor of Translational Nutritional Biology, Director of Studies and Associate Vice President for Medicine, Wolfrum has actively shaped medical teaching and research at the university.

ETH Zurich offers interested students from the seventh grade onwards courses in which they can deepen their knowledge of mathematical and scientific subjects. Since spring 2021, more than 2,000 students have taken part in the ETH Youth Academy courses.

Materials scientists Nicole Kleger and Simona Fehlmann have developed a 3D printing process for creating salt templates that they can fill with other materials. One area of application is the creation of highly porous lightweight metal components. The two Pioneer Fellows are now trying to transfer this process to industry.

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.

Wera Hotz Kowner was the first woman to study electrical engineering at ETH Zurich. Successfully rising above the condescension shown by some of her professors, she focused on preparing herself for her new job as managing director of the family business.

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.

ETH alumnus Christoph Rennhard runs a company that develops precision machines for the global market. The keys to his success are technical expertise, customer orientation and talented staff – plus the ability of his SME to respond faster than big corporations.

It was only when Margherita Fontana left ETH Zurich that she realised she had been given a unique value proposition that she could take with her into the corporate world.

Oliver Janzer is a mathematician who specialises in graphs – that is, collections of nodes that may or may not be connected, such as Facebook users. As part of his ETH Fellowship, the young researcher has been busy solving problems that had stumped mathematicians for decades.

Philippe Kahn, a technology innovator and entrepreneur who studied mathematics at ETH Zurich, is credited with creating the first camera phone solution.

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.

ETH Zurich started offering pre-apprenticeships for refugees last August. How are things going for the first two participants in the programme? And what are the next steps for the pilot project?

Switzerland's former ambassador to the US Martin Dahinden made many exciting encounters during his diplomatic career, and ETH Zurich played a key role throughout.

Data contains much more than just the information on the surface. With statistics, deeper cause-and-effect relationships can be brought to light. This is what Alexander Marx is researching as a Fellow at the ETH AI Center using artificial intelligence. One of his goals is to be able to make predictions regarding diabetes in children.  

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.  

To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we take a look back at a year shaped by strong women. Although there’s still a long way to go in achieving a gender balance in research and education, ETH Zurich has no shortage of female role models.

After nine years as ETH Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management, Michael Ambühl is soon to become a professor emeritus. We look back at the remarkable career of a former State Secretary who was determined to translate practice into theory.

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

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.

How can we decarbonise our economy by 2050? ETH Zurich Professor Tobias Schmidt argues that the answer lies in a radical technological transformation. He describes his journey from engineer to policy researcher – and his determination to build bridges between science and policy.

ETH and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems are intensifying their partnership to promote doctoral candidates and research: ETH professors Otmar Hilliges, Thomas Hofmann, Andreas Krause and Klaas P. Prüssmann are new Max Planck fellows in Tübingen and Stuttgart.

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.

Michael Kreuzer, Professor of Animal Nutrition and pioneer in the prevention of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, is retiring after 27 years at ETH Zurich.

High-performance batteries are key to the comprehensive roll-out of e-mobility. ETH Pioneer Fellow Paul Baade is looking into how to manufacture them more cost-effectively.

Which mental state do we need to be in to perform at our best? ETH Pioneer Fellow Marc Bächinger is working with Sarah Meissner to come up with the answer. Their technology, MyFlow, helps build mental strength. Together, they are about to launch their own start-up.

From the factory hall and not the field: ETH spin-off YASAI should soon be harvesting 20 tonnes of herbs a year from an indoor facility. Their “vertical farming” method offers ecological benefits in particular, as more can be produced with fewer resources.

ETH Fellow Nadia Shardt is researching how water droplets in clouds freeze to form ice, and the role played by particles in this process. She has developed an innovative apparatus specifically for this purpose. She hopes that her findings will enable climate models to produce more accurate forecasts.

ETH professor and molecular biologist Ernst Hafen retires at the end of July. We look back at the colourful career of a leading scientist with many different interests beyond the narrow world of molecular genetics.

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.

Nina Buchmann, Chair of the Department of Environmental Systems Science, looks back on 150 years of Agricultural Sciences. There have been many highlights, but what really stands out are the sweeping changes in research and teaching.

For mathematician Joaquim Serra, sketches are a gateway to insight. Sketching out geometric relationships helps him unlock the abstract reasonings required to prove his theorems. On Sunday, he is being honoured for his research into partial differential equations.

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.

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.

ETH Fellow Serina Robinson is devoted to microorganisms. She is particularly interested in the enzymes they use to produce and break down chemical substances. The young scientist is also especially fascinated by as yet uncultivated microbes.

Anne Lacaton, Emeritus Professor of Architecture and Design at ETH Zurich, and her partner Jean-Philippe Vassal have received the most prestigious international architecture prize for their sustainable and social approach to building design.

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.

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.

There are more than 1,500 postdocs researching and teaching at ETH. Only a small portion of them will later become professors. In early February, ETH held a career week with numerous talks and workshops to provide even more support to its postdoc community.

With Markus Aebi’s retirement, ETH is losing a great scientist. The microbiologist has also made a name for himself as a teacher and mentor well beyond his own discipline. His passion for research and teaching is reflected in his involvement in many university institutions – and in a series of prestigious awards.

ETH Zurich and the University of St.Gallen (HSG) are launching a joint Executive MBA programme, the emba X. The two universities are combining their know-how in technology and management as well as their networks for this innovative programme.

Scientists at ETH Zurich have leveraged big data from recruitment platforms and machine learning to study hiring discrimination. They show that discrimination against immigrants depends, among other things, on the time of day; and that both men and women face discrimination.

Daniela Latorre wanted to be a scientist since she was a child. At the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, affiliated to the USI in Bellinzona and the Institute of Microbiology, she is finding evidence that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease. She has now received the Pfizer Prize for Research 2020 for her pioneering work.

Collegium Helveticum is the joint think tank of ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Leadership of the organisation is set to change hands in January 2021, with ETH professor Sebastian Bonhoeffer taking over the reins. A biologist and musician, Bonhoeffer has long pursued his passions for science and art. We sat down with him to talk about how he sees his new role. 

Changing the world with the power of ideas – that’s what Martin Bosshardt finds so fascinating about being an engineer. And no matter which industry he works in, he always draws on what he learnt at ETH.

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.

Biodegradable plastics are very much on trend. But there are still very few sustainable alternatives for products containing foamed plastic. ETH Pioneer Fellow Zuzana Sediva is developing a process that could one day be used to make shoe soles and yoga mats from organic waste.

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.

We want to make sure our phones no longer disturb us at the wrong moment. To achieve this, we first have to better understand where our attention lies when using smartphones. Computer scientists at ETH have now developed a system that records eye contact with the display in everyday situations for the first time. Sociologists and medical experts could also benefit from this.

DeepCode, an ETH spin-off that built the first AI platform for code is to be acquired by Snyk, a world leader in developer-first security code analysis.  

Ruedi Aebersold, a professor of molecular systems biology at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, is to receive the Swiss Science Prize Marcel Benoist. Aebersold is being honoured for the part he has played in founding and advancing the field of proteomics, a branch of biology that is seen as the foundation of the personalised medicine of tomorrow.

Germaine J. F. Seewer is the first woman to hold the rank of Major General in the Swiss Armed Forces. Her new role as Commander of the Armed Forces College has forged even closer ties to her alma mater.

The materials scientist, chemist and world-renowned tribologist Nicholas Spencer will be retiring soon. His departure could signal the loss of a specialist discipline within ETH Zurich.

Research and family belong together for Sebastian Schemm. The father of two small children leads a research group at ETH Zurich which is investigating atmospheric circulation and its effects on weather and climate dynamics.

Olga Fink develops artificial intelligence algorithms for industrial assets, rolling stock and power plants. The 37-year-old researcher's goal is to predict rare events before they even occur. By doing so, she improves the reliability and service life of complex industrial assets.

Whether for explosives, plastic, dyes or medications: some molecules are manufactured in large quantities on an industrial scale. Yet these production processes are resource-intensive and produce hazardous waste. ETH chemist Dmitry Katayev is making these processes more efficient and better for the environment.