The Singapore-ETH Centre in its fifth year: taking stock

In 2010, ETH Zürich founded the Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability (SEC) under an agreement with Singapore’s National Research Foundation. It was a significant step because for the first time, ETH was establishing a major facility outside Switzerland. The first SEC programme, called ‘Future Cities Laboratory’ (FCL), has the aim of producing the knowledge and ideas that will be needed for cities to develop sustainably.

Was it worth the effort?

Establishing a research facility in a new country is no small undertaking. SEC had to start from scratch and set up a complete administration to handle the multitude of tasks – budgeting, financial management, human resources, communications, tax affairs – that anyone working in a university normally takes for granted. And although SEC operates rather independently, the venture also placed high demands upon ETH leadership and senior management, who had to guide and oversee its development.

Nevertheless, the answer to the above question is, in my view, a resounding ‘yes, it has been worth the effort‘. Having a research facility in Singapore has brought ETH and Switzerland a wide range of benefits, some of which were foreseeable (and indeed were the reason for setting up SEC and FCL), while others were unplanned side-effects of working with new colleagues and partners in a different part of the world. Here are just four of those benefits as I have observed them over the past year.

Fertile soil for collaboration

First, FCL has created a unique working environment in which the boundaries between traditional academic disciplines are much more permeable than in most departments. Indeed, many important research ideas emerged because researchers with different backgrounds have combined their expertise to find novel solutions.

In a previous blog, I described how doctoral students in engineering and architecture are designing new spaces for pedestrians and businesses in Singapore that take advantage of improvements in air-cooling technology developed at FCL. Another highly interdisciplinary project is focused on the Ciliwung River, which flows like an open sewer through some of the poorest informal settlements in Jakarta (see article on ETH News). This project aims to develop new tools and design methodologies for improving degraded riparian landscapes, taking account of the many complex issues that affect such areas, including flooding, water quality, culture and ecology. Interdisciplinary collaboration of this kind generates a real sense of excitement, one that is often commented upon by visitors to FCL.

Playground for learning to deal with upcoming challenges

Second, Singapore and neighbouring countries, especially Indonesia, have proved excellent places to study the challenges posed by rapid urban growth in Southeast Asia. These countries are at very different stages of economic development, and the problems they face are correspondingly diverse. As a modern, prosperous city, Singapore faces major challenges arising from a high population density, an ageing society, and high rates of resource consumption. In contrast, many cities in the surrounding countries face problems associated with poverty, rapid and chaotic urban growth, and inadequate infrastructure.

For the researcher, both extremes of this spectrum offer important research opportunities that are not available to someone based in Europe. However, I am convinced that the experiences gained through this type of research are of not merely regional significance, but will increasingly influence how similar projects in other areas are designed and conducted. Indeed, many of the ideas and approaches developed at FCL are already being applied in a new generation of projects at ETH Zurich.

Preparing students for a globalised world

Third, SEC is a great place for educating students. The doctoral students who receive their training at FCL work in a unique environment where they collaborate closely with stakeholders and must develop skills in communicating across disciplines, across sectors and across cultures. SEC also offers great opportunities for undergraduate training.

In a globalised world, many ETH graduates, for example in architecture and engineering, will either work in Southeast Asia at some stage in their career, or will need to understand the special circumstances of that region. Several design research studios and summer schools have been organised in SEC, providing the participants with an outstanding educational experience.

High awareness and valuable networks for Switzerland

Finally, both SEC and FCL fulfill many other functions of value to ETH Zürich and Switzerland that are not directly related to their research. These include such things as providing a base for sabbaticals, hosting meetings, receiving visiting politicians, and supporting independent research, all of which help strengthen awareness about ETH in the region. I believe that a long-term academic presence in Asia will increasingly give ETH Zürich a competitive advantage in research with a strong regional emphasis, and will also be beneficial for the Swiss economy.

All in all, I am convinced that through its growing understanding of this part of the world, SEC and FCL are extending the capacity of ETH Zürich – not only in terms of useful research, but also by providing knowledge and education that will be needed by a future generation of Swiss scientists, engineers and architects.