New Faculty Orientation

ETH's orientation programme for new professors, led by the Executive Board, takes place once each semester. During this mandatory two-day retreat, recently appointed faculty will learn more about their new roles as assistant professors associate professors and full professors, discussing not only ETH's approach to innovative teaching and research, but addressing financial responsibility, team leadership, student supervision and more. Peers from the faculty, with experience at ETH, will also lead small group discussions concerning relevant issues that confront professors in the contemporary world of academia.

This programme aims to support professors with tips and guidance as they transition into their new positions here at ETH, offering faculty an opportunity to reflect on how they wish to shape their future professorships based on peer examples and the vision of ETH’s Executive Board. Lastly, the event enables participants to strengthen their network within the ETH community.

Dates for upcoming orientation events include:

Tuesday & Wednesday, 11/12 March 2025
Tuesday & Wednesday, 9/10 September 2025

Programme (subject to change)

Time	Topic	Presenters
	Day 1
08:00 - 08:30	Check-in
08:30 - 09:00	Welcome Coffee & Introduction
09:00 - 10:45	Executive Board Members	Key messages of the Executive Board (5-7 minutes each, President 10 minutes) (total 60’) Dialogue with the Executive Board (30’) Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL (15')
10:45 - 11:15	Coffee Break
11:15 - 12:15 12:15 - 12:30	Knowledge and Technology transfer (VPWW): Corporate Communications	Plenary session (transfer, industry relations) Vanessa Wood (60’ including Q&A) Communication on science and with the public - Nicole Kasielke (HK)
12:30 - 13:30	Lunch
13:30 -13:45	ETH Foundation	Lena Serck Hanssen
13:45 - 16:00	Good compliance practice in finance	Outside Activities – Tanja Gsell Managing Finance – (Sati Gür) Export control (Gaganpreet Singh) Business expenses (Hans-Peter Weder) Insurance (Sheila Elsener) procurement (Marco Seliner)
16:00 - 16:30	Coffee Break
16:30 - 18:00	Research session (VPF)	Enabling high quality research (45 minutes) Prof. Uwe Sauer, President of the Research Commission, Dr Sonja Negovetic, Grants Office, Dr Seraina Munton, Grants Office Scientific integrity with Prof. Isabelle Mansuy, President of the GSP-Commission & Dr. Gérald Achermann, Office for Scientific Integrity & Research Ethics (45 minutes)
	Q&A
18:30	Apero and Dinner
	Day 2
	Offe /Standing Breakfast Villa Hatt (optional)	all participants
	8.30-13.00: Teaching and leadership morning (Rectorate/Education and VPPL):
Time	8.30-10.30 Teaching
08:30 - 09:15		Teaching Policy, quality, and development of teaching at ETH moderated by Prof. Jan Vermant, Vice Rector for Curriculum Development, and Dr. Judith Zimmermann, Head of the Unit for Teaching and Learning
09:15 - 09:45		Doctoral supervision and Leadership moderated by Prof. Ulrike Lohmann, Vice Rector for Doctoral Studies and Didactic Fellow
09:45 - 10:30		Effective learning & inspiring teaching: moderated by Prof. Laura Nyström, Didactic Fellow
10:30 - 11:00	Coffee Break
	11:00 – 13:00 Leadership (VPPL)
11:00 - 11:30		ETH Social and Leadership Competencies at ETH and Professor Toolbox
11:30 - 12:40		3 Workshops (rotation) on focus topics collaboration proximity and distance in leadership feedback, failure and learning culture
12:40- 13:00		Commitment and Wrap up

13:00 - 14:00	Lunch
14:00 16:00	Session on Infrastructure (VPIN)	Market place with rotation to learn more about ETH services and offers (20’ each) Real Estate Engineering and Systems Facility Services IT Services ETH Library Campus Services Safety, Security, Health and Environment ETH-Sustainability
	Closing

For any questions about programme content and registration, please contact Marquita Brillante or Simone Hess

Or ask a question for the orientation presenters and the Executive Board.