News from the Executive Board 2021 / 4

The Executive Board has enacted a new policy governing outside employment for professors and all other ETH staff. The policy will enter into force on 1 January 2022. Until now, the Guidelines on Outside Activities enacted in 2008 have applied to professors, while the provisions set out in the ETH Domain Personnel Ordinance have applied to all employees of ETH Zurich.

The new policy that has now been issued replaces the previous guideline for professors and specifies the provisions for employees in the Personnel Ordinance, which nevertheless remains valid as the overarching set of rules.

The aim of the new policy is, on the one hand, to make all persons concerned more aware of the issue of outside employment and possible conflicts of interest resulting from it, and, on the other hand, to create more transparency.

The new policy focuses on conflicts of interest as well as conflicts of commitment (i.e., impaired performance at one's primary job) that can be caused by engaging in outside employment.

Depending on the type and volume of work, ETH employees will either have to report their outside employment (reporting requirement) or have it approved by a superior (approval requirement). The new policy sets out in clearer detail the approval criteria for outside employment. This increases transparency with regard to which secondary jobs receive approval and what the attendant risks may be.

The new outside employment policy will take effect at the beginning of next year (01.01.2022). In the spring of 2022, all employees of ETH Zurich will likely receive their first invitation to enter all of their outside work commitments in ETHIS. More details on the new policy, the reporting requirement and the approval process will be made available at a later date.

Possible exclusion from European research funding poses a risk to ETH

At the end of June, the Executive Board approved the Risk Management Commission’s report on the risk situation at ETH Zurich in 2021. Every year the Financial Services department updates the core risks facing the university based on what are called risk cockpits. These cockpits contain risk information from all units at ETH and take into account any events that may have occurred as well as the general environment that ETH is embedded in.

ETH Zurich defines risk as the effects of uncertainty on the university's objectives. Risks can negatively impact valuable assets such as ETH’s human capital, reputation and infrastructure and can significantly jeopardise the university's operational and strategic objectives. Risk management at ETH therefore also encompasses measures designed to minimise these risks. Typical core risks for ETH include the loss of top performers and a decline in teaching quality.

ETH remains a highly attractive destination for professors, employees and students, and the quality of applications is likewise high. However, this could change if Switzerland is not permitted to fully take part in European programmes for education, research and innovation funding. Neither ETH Zurich nor Switzerland is in a position to replace European research framework programmes with their own funding instruments, national programmes or bilateral agreements. Being excluded from these EU instruments therefore jeopardises ETH Zurich's ability to attract talented researchers. Access to research areas of global significance and cooperation with European partners could also become more difficult. Additionally, a lack of funds could impair the university’s ability to conduct innovative research. Taken together, the resulting disadvantages in terms of research networks and competitiveness could lead to a loss of reputation and lower ranking for ETH Zurich.

The Executive Board has therefore added the exclusion of Switzerland from Horizon Europe, Euratom/ITER and the Digital Europe Programme – and the resulting loss of international collaboration opportunities – as a new core risk facing ETH Zurich. Based on ETH's experiences with the corona crisis and the university’s current financial situation, the Board has also given higher weighting to infrastructure risks and the likelihood of major crisis events occurring.

You can find more information about risk management at ETH here and in the governance and sustainability chapter of the 2020 annual report.

Rainer Schulin to retain post as trusted intermediary for another year

The Executive Board has extended the term of office for trusted intermediary Dr. Rainer Schulin by an additional year. The emeritus professor will continue to hold his post through 31 July 2022. In the meantime, the Commission for Good Scientific Practice (GSP Commission) will identify possible successors for Dr. Schulin and nominate them to the Executive Board.

Trusted intermediaries offer support on issues of integrity in research and are contact persons if there is any suspicion of scientific misconduct. In addition to Dr. Schulin, emeritus professors Dr. Renate Schubert and Dr. Peter Widmayer also serve as trusted intermediaries. Their term of office lasts until 30 June 2024.