Events
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders can find an overview of events here, some of which they must attend. Platforms offering events for students or all ETH members are also listed.
Welcome & introduction meeting
- 23 August, 15.30 – 16.45 (CEST, Zurich), webinar (link will be provided shortly before the event)
- Important: Mandatory participation.
- Content: Official welcome by the Reception Service at ETH, important information about your stay in Switzerland and at ETH e.g., health insurance matters, scholarship payment, public transport, and oncoming events for scholarship holders. Information session around one hour, then Q&A.
- Target group: all scholarship holders
- Organisation: Reception Service at ETH
Orientation event for doctoral students
- 12 September, 15.00 – 17.30, CHN C14 (building CHN, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich)
- Important: Participation mandatory for FCS doctoral students (other groups: see below). Mandatory online registration (deadline: 11 September, 15.00). Inform your supervisor that you wish to participate in this event to be well prepared for your doctoral studies.
- Target group: For ETH doctoral students. FCS visiting students doing their research at ETH might also wish to learn more about ETH as an institution and its services. Postdoctoral students and FCS visiting students doing their research at research institutions are not eligible for this event.
- Content: Important information for newly arrived doctoral students to help them integrate into the ETH culture and administrative processes for doctoral students.
- Organisation: Doctoral Administration at ETH
City tour of Zurich
- 29 September, 17.45
- Important: Participation highly recommended. Mandatory online registration.
- Content: guided city tour of Zurichfollowed by an informal meal with former and new scholarship holders
- Time: meeting at 17.45, start of guided tour at 18.00, start of dinner at 20.15
- Meeting point for guided tour: Group meeting point Zurich main station
- Dinner location: external pagerestaurant Commihallecall_made (external pageGoogle mapscall_made)
- Target group: all scholarship holders
- Organisation: Reception Service at ETH
"Beyond cheese, chocolate and watches": An intercultural guide to understanding the Swiss
- 3 October, 18.15 – 19.45, HG F 30 (Audimax; ETH Main Building; Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zurich)
- Important: Participation highly recommended, no registration necessary.
- Content: Workshop about typical Swiss values, patterns of communication and culture shock. Participants reflect on their own communication patterns and the differences in values and communication styles between different cultures.
- Target group: scholarship holders interested in Swiss culture, culture shock, intercultural communication, etc. and international Master's degree students and exchange students (joint event)
- Organisation: Student Exchange Office and International Student Office at ETH
Welcoming evening: Round of introductions and dinner
- 25 October, beginning from approximately 17:00
- Important: Participation highly recommended. Separate inviation with instructions, exact time and location will follow. For the round of introductions, participants must send a high-quality picture by Monday, 25 September 2023. It should show something typical from their home country (nature, buildings, traditions, food etc.) that each participant will present to fellow students of the programme.”
- Content: Official welcome with Rector Professor Günther Dissertori and FCS delegate Professor Stefano Bernasconi. Round of introductions and dinner.
- Target group: all scholarship holders
- Organisation: Reception Service at ETH
Polyball
- 25 November, approx. starting at 19.00
- Important: Self-organised. Must buy a ticket in advance (limited quantity). Ticket refund (student price) by Reception Service at ETH.
- Content: biggest decorated ball in Europe, traditional event at ETH with several ballrooms according to the ball theme
- Target group: all scholarship holders
- Organisation: KOSTA foundation
Christmas event
- 9 December, beginning from approximately 14.00
- Important: Participation highly recommended. Separate inviation with exact date and location will follow.
- Target group: all scholarship holders
- Organisation: Reception Service at ETH
Farewell event
- Between June and August
- Important: Participation highly recommended. Separate inviation with exact date and location will follow.
- Target group: all scholarship holders
- Organisation: Reception Service at ETH
- 21 September, 15.00 – 17.00
- Important: Mandatory registration. Participation highly recommended.
- Organisation: Office of Research at ETH
- external page call_made ESN Zürich: The Erasmus Student Network organises events for FCS visiting students
- chevron_right VSETH events: The VSETH organises events for FCS visiting students
- chevron_right AVETH events: AVETH organises events for doctoral and postdoctoral students
- chevron_right Events at ETH (open to the general public)
- chevron_right ETH events tip: With the ETH App, you can see all the public events at ETH
- chevron_right ETH Point: The community platform is an events calendar for all ETH members among other things
- chevron_right Safety and security at ETH: Courses on safety, security, health, environment at ETH take place throughout the year
Your ETH department might hold additional events that are not included above.
Time management
Unpunctuality is perceived as very disrespectful in Switzerland. Therefore, make sure that you arrive on time.