Equality Monitoring 2021
Here you can find the results from the Equality Monitoring 2021 for the entire ETH Zurich as well as for each department.
Results of the Equality Monitoring 2021
ETH Zurich
Diversity dimension gender
- The results of the 2021 Equality Monitoring show that most academic career areas at ETH have not seen any significant new developments.
- Among students (including doctoral candidates) as well as academic staff, the proportion of women rose by only a few percentage points in 2021 and stayed at a relatively low level (female students = 32.6 percent, doctoral candidates = 34.6 percent, academic staff = 27.4 percent). The proportion of female professors (permanent and assistant professorships) rose only slightly from 18 percent in 2020 to 19.6 percent in 2021. Among administrative-technical staff, the proportion of women in 2020 was 43.5 percent and remains unchanged in 2021.
- For the first time, the new report also includes data on the proportion of women in administrative-technical leadership roles. In 2021, this figure was 29 percent for the Executive Board and central services and 22 percent in teaching and research.
- There is one figure from the current Equality Monitoring report, however, that is particularly positive: that for newly appointed women. In 2021, the proportion of women appointed to professorships was 44.8 percent, up from 34 percent in 2020: an increase of 10.8 percentage points. This exceeded not only the ETH Board’s goal of 35 percent for newly appointed women at the professor level but also ETH Zurich’s self-defined goal of 40 percent. For assistant professorships (both tenure and non-tenure track), a full 57 percent of all new appointments were women in 2021, up by 17.5 percent compared to the previous year.
Diversity dimension age
- One such aspect is the age distribution between genders within academic career stages, from undergraduate studies to assistant professorships. On average, this factor is more or less the same for all genders (in some cases, the age difference is only 0.1 years).
- Larger age differences can only be observed in permanent professors, where women are on average younger than their
male counterparts (50.6 vs. 53.3 years).
Diversity dimension internationalisation
- The degree of internationalisation at ETH Zurich remained very high in 2021. The higher the academic level, the higher the degree of internationalisation. In 2021, this trend increased by a few percentage points compared to the previous year.
- At 90.5 percent, 77.5 percent and 80.1 percent, postdoc, senior assistant and research staff as well as assistant professorships were the academic levels that had the highest proportion of people from other countries in 2021.
Diversity dimension language
- In 2021, 41 different native languages were spoken at ETH Zurich, with German remaining the most common one across all academic levels, followed by Italian among undergraduates and doctoral students. Among administrative and technical staff, too, Italian is again the second most common mother tongue; as in 2020, however, English is almost as common as a first language.
- At the postdoc level and above, English remains the second most common native language.
- The only new finding was among Master’s students, where Chinese has for the first time replaced Italian as the second most common native tongue.
Basically: There is little data available on other aspects of diversity at ETH Zurich, which is also the case at most other universities. This is mainly because statistics on many diversity metrics are not regularly collected due to the often private and sensitive nature of the information.
*Explanations
BSc = Bachelor's students
MSc = Master's students
Doc = doctoral candidates
Postdoc = postdoctoral candidates and research associates II
SSA = senior assistants and scientific assistants (fixed-term)
SS = senior scientists and leading scientists (permanent contracts)
AssP = assistant professors
FP = full and associate professors (permanent contracts)
S/A = (Executive Board) staff units and administrative departments
TT = tenure track
SNF = Swiss National Science Foundation
ERC = European Research Council
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Remarks
- Inclusion of extradepartmental units and staff units: In the Equality Monitoring Report 2021 staff unit, extradepartmental units, and other exceptions are excluded in each graphic where only academic staff and/or students are portrayed. In graphics showing technical and administrative staff and apprentices, staff units and extradepartmental units are included. In the two graphs on technical and administrative staff and apprentices in the diversity dimension gender, the exceptions are also included. In the graphs on the diversity dimensions age, internationalization and language, both technical and administrative staff as well as apprentices are listed and so are students and scientific staff. Therefore, only the exceptions are excluded in these graphs, while the extradepartmental units and the staff units are counted. This type of reporting results, for example, in a share of Swiss professors with permanent position (FP) of 35.2% in the graph "Professorships by Nationality and Gender 2021". In the graph "ETH Zurich Community by Nationalities in 2021", on the other hand, 35.6% of professors with permanent position are depicted to be Swiss. The reason for this is the inclusion of permanent professors in the staff units and extradepartmental units in the latter graph.
- Full-time equivalents (FTE) and individuals (HC): From postdoc level onwards, the figures refer to full-time equivalents (FTE = Full-Time Equivalents). Below that academic level they refer to individuals (HC = head count). One full-time equivalent corresponds to a full-time position at ETH Zurich, based on a working week of 41 hours. Doctoral students are not included in the figures for the mid-level faculty. They are shown separately.
- Definition «Leaky Pipeline»: The observation that the proportion of women on the academic career ladder declines after graduation is known as the "leaky pipeline". ETH Zurich has recognised this phenomenon and, among other things, has been offering the career programme "Fix-the-leaky-pipeline" for young female scientists together with the other institutions of the ETH Zurich Domain since 2007.
- Definition Swiss Entry Qualification vs. Foreign Entry Qualification: Students with foreign entry qualifications are students with a foreign educational background who were not resident in Switzerland before starting their studies. Students with Swiss entry qualification are students with either Swiss nationality or foreign students who were resident in Switzerland when they acquired their university admission. From postdoc level onwards, nationality rather than educational origin is specified.
- Definition Glass Ceiling Index (GCI): The Glass Ceiling Index (GCI) compares (divides) the proportion of women at all levels from post-doctoral research to full professorship (associate and full professorship) with the proportion of women at the level of full professorship. A value greater than 1 means that women are underrepresented at the level of full professorship compared with their presence in academic positions in general (from postdoctoral research upward). The higher the GCI value above 1, the stronger the glass ceiling effect. This term is used to describe the effect of structural barriers that make it difficult for women to access higher positions in academia, resulting in their under-representation at the top level of full professorship.
- Definition Gender Parity Index (GPI): The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates the relative position of the various ETH Zurich departments with regard to the proportion of women in the following five levels:
- The proportion of female students I1
- The proportion of female doctoral candidates I2
- The proportion of female scientific staff I3
- Proportion of female professors (full and assistant professors) I4
- Proportion of female administrative and technical staff I5
Departements Reports
Leaky Pipeline D-ARCH 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-ARCH 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-ARCH 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-ARCH 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-ARCH 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-ARCH 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-ARCH 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-ARCH 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-BAUG 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-BAUG 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-BAUG 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-BAUG 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-BAUG 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-BAUG 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-BAUG 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-BAUG 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-BIOL 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-BIOL 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-BIOL 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-BIOL 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-BIOL 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-BIOL 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-BIOL 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-BIOL 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-BSSE 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-BSSE 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-BSSE 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-BSSE 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-BSSE 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-BSSE 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-BSSE 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-BSSE 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-CHAB 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-CHAB 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-CHAB 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-CHAB 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-CHAB 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-CHAB 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-CHAB 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-CHAB 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-ERDW 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-ERDW 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-ERDW 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-ERDW 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-ERDW 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-ERDW 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-ERDW 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-ERDW 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-GESS 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-GESS 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-GESS 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-GESS 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-GESS 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-GESS 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-GESS 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-GESS 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-HEST 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-HEST 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-HEST 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-HEST 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-HEST 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-HEST 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-HEST 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-HEST 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-INFK 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-INFK 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-INFK 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-INFK 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academics Staff D-INFK 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-INFK 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-INFK 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-INFK 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-ITET 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-ITET 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-ITET 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-ITET 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-ITET 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-ITET 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-ITET 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-ITET 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-MATH 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-MATH 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-MATH 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-MATH 2006 - 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-MATH 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-MATH 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-MATH 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-MATH 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-MATL 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-MATL 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-MATL 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-MATL 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-MATL 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-MATL 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-MATL 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-MATL 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-MAVT 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-MAVT 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-MAVT 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-MAVT 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-MAVT 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-MAVT 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-MAVT 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-MTEC 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-MTEC 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-MTEC 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-MTEC 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-MTEC 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-MTEC 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-MTEC 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-MTEC 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-PHYS 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-PHYS 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-PHYS 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-PHYS 2006 - 2021
Proportion of Women among Academic Staff D-PHYS 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-PHYS 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-PHYS 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-PHYS 2006 - 2021
Leaky Pipeline D-USYS 2021
Proportion of Women Among Students and Doctoral Students D-USYS 2006 - 2021
Students and Doctoral Students by Entry Qualification and Gender D-USYS 2021
Academic Staff by Gender D-USYS 2006 - 2021
Professorships D-USYS 2006 - 2021
Glass Ceiling Index at D-USYS 2006 - 2021
Technical and Administrative Personnel D-USYS 2006 - 2021
*Explanations
BSc = Bachelor's students
MSc = Master's students
Doc = doctoral candidates
Postdoc = postdoctoral candidates and research associates II
SSA = senior assistants and scientific assistants (fixed-term)
SS = senior scientists and leading scientists (permanent contracts)
AssP = assistant professors
FP = full and associate professors (permanent contracts)
S/A = (Executive Board) staff units and administrative departments
TT = tenure track
SNF = Swiss National Science Foundation
ERC = European Research Council
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Remarks
- Full-time equivalents (FTE) and individuals (HC): From postdoc level onwards, the figures refer to full-time equivalents (FTE = Full-Time Equivalents). Below that academic level they refer to individuals (HC = head count). One full-time equivalent corresponds to a full-time position at ETH Zurich, based on a working week of 41 hours. Doctoral students are not included in the figures for the mid-level faculty. They are shown separately.
- Definition «Leaky Pipeline»: The observation that the proportion of women on the academic career ladder declines after graduation is known as the "leaky pipeline". ETH Zurich has recognised this phenomenon and, among other things, has been offering the career programme "Fix-the-leaky-pipeline" for young female scientists together with the other institutions of the ETH Zurich Domain since 2007.
- Definition Swiss Entry Qualification vs. Foreign Entry Qualification: Students with foreign entry qualifications are students with a foreign educational background who were not resident in Switzerland before starting their studies. Students with Swiss entry qualification are students with either Swiss nationality or foreign students who were resident in Switzerland when they acquired their university admission. From postdoc level onwards, nationality rather than educational origin is specified.
- Definition Glass Ceiling Index (GCI): The Glass Ceiling Index (GCI) compares (divides) the proportion of women at all levels from post-doctoral research to full professorship (associate and full professorship) with the proportion of women at the level of full professorship. A value greater than 1 means that women are underrepresented at the level of full professorship compared with their presence in academic positions in general (from postdoctoral research upward). The higher the GCI value above 1, the stronger the glass ceiling effect. This term is used to describe the effect of structural barriers that make it difficult for women to access higher positions in academia, resulting in their under-representation at the top level of full professorship.
- Definition Gender Parity Index (GPI): The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates the relative position of the various ETH Zurich departments with regard to the proportion of women in the following five levels:
- The proportion of female students I1
- The proportion of female doctoral candidates I2
- The proportion of female scientific staff I3
- Proportion of female professors (full and assistant professors) I4
- Proportion of female administrative and technical staff I5
