ETH Zurich and Microsoft: Hunting for Talent

It was a fireside discussion – albeit without the fire. Lino Guzzella was therefore appropriately polite when he opened the discussion with his guest, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Guzzella emphasised that it was a huge honour to have Nadella visit the university, saying that Microsoft is “very important” for ETH, and that he hoped the reverse was also true. The introduction was followed by an overview of present-day and future technological developments, during which Nadella stressed the increasing importance of artificial intelligence (AI), mixed reality, and human-machine interaction.

Both Nadella and Guzzella agreed that this development raises a lot of fear for many people, and that this needs to be addressed. “The challenge lies in showing people the opportunities offered by the technology,” said Nadella. He emphasised that AI could create jobs, for example, by opening up new job prospects for people with physical disabilities. “It does require regulation,” he added, “but well thought-out regulation,” Lino Guzzella agreed.

The private sector: A threat to science?

As the event went on, the ETH President brought up more challenging issues. “I am known for asking uncomfortable questions,” he said, earning laughs from both his guest and the audience. “For us, Microsoft is both a fascinating and a little bit of a threatening partner. We enjoy the research cooperation, but from time-to time we lose our most brilliant minds to Microsoft. I am afraid that if you attract too many of our talents it damages the pipeline for eventual new breakthroughs,” he said. Nadella accepted this criticism with composure: “You are absolutely right,” he said. “In the long-term, strong university research is in our own interests. We, therefore, want to create an environment in which people can move as easily as possible between industry and educational institutions.” He advocated for research partnerships, from which both sides can benefit.

The man, who joined the second half of the discussion, demonstrated that this kind of exchange works.  Marc Pollefeys is both a Director of Science at Microsoft, as well as, a professor and Head of the Institute for Visual Computing at ETH. Pollefeys also thinks that the exchange is currently weighted towards industry, “I’ve already recruited a few people from Microsoft for my institute,” he said. “All things considered, I think that it’s a fairly productive exchange.”

Lack of women: Cultural change is needed

Less positive; however, is the fact that the proportion of women in computer science falls far short of the potential. “We’ve seen the number of computer science students double in recent years, but only about 20 percent of them are women. Is the situation any better at Microsoft?” asked the ETH President. Nadella noted that in the mid-80s, when Melinda Gates was studying at Duke University, the proportion of women was approximately 35 percent. Today he noted that it is 20 percent at the most. Microsoft focuses on supporting women through its development programme MACH (Microsoft Academy for College Hires). “It’s going in the right direction,” said Nadella. However, he emphasised that, “We must create a corporate culture in which women feel comfortable. Otherwise nothing will change.” Guzzella sees a need for action not only when it comes to recruiting women, but also more generally in the attitude towards technical disciplines, “We have to approach primary schools and people on the streets, and we have to ensure that politicians also understand that society can benefit from computer technology.”

To finish, Guzzella asked his prominent guest, “What is the secret behind your success?” The question was of course first countered with a little modesty. “If I frame it as, oh, I have been successful, then it is the end of it all,” said Nadella. When he began at Microsoft, he never aspired to become CEO. Nadella finally provided his formula for success, “Whatever it is that you are doing, assume that it is the best thing that you could be doing.”