News from the Executive Board 2024/3

The Executive Board has taken note of and approved the new guidelines on science-policy engagement. These offer guidance to ETH members wishing to provide evidence-based advice to policymakers or who are involved in the dialogue between scientists and politics. The guidelines were put into force by the Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations, Vanessa Wood, on 1 February 2024 and added to the ETH Legal Collection.

Sharing knowledge with policymakers is an important and valued contribution by ETH members to informed and evidence-based policymaking. In the recent past, however, there have been questions from ETH members, politicians and citizens about ETH Zurich’s stance on scientists’ provision of policy advice and the best practices ETH members can follow. With the new guidelines, ETH Zurich is positioning itself more clearly on these issues.

The guidelines met with approval in the consultation process with the departments and Central Administrative Units of ETH Zurich and were revised on the basis of feedback received. The changes related mainly to the document’s structure and language as well as to the clearer expression of the recommendations.

The content and application of the guidelines on science-policy engagement are explained – succinctly and with examples – on the website of the Science-Policy Interface unit, which was responsible for developing the guidelines. In addition, Benedikt Knüsel, Head of the Science-Policy Interface unit, explains in an interview in Internal news what ETH members should observe in their engagement at the science-policy interface.

ETH Zurich’s guidelines on science-policy engagement dated 1 February 2024 (RSETHZ 443 1)

MAS ETH in AI and Digital Technology

The Executive Board has issued the 2024 regulations for the modular continuing education program Master of Advanced Studies ETH in AI and Digital Technology (MAS ETH AID). This is a continuing education program based on the so-called "reverse MBA" concept, in which people with a non-scientific degree are taught technical and scientific expertise.

The MAS ETH AID, under the direction of the D-INFK, focuses on software topics and builds on the following three CAS modules:

• CAS ETH in AI and Software Development (CAS ETH AIS, first launched in February 2024)
• CAS ETH in Data and Machine Learning (CAS ETH DML)
• CAS ETH in Networks and Computing (CAS ETH NAC)

The director of the MAS program will be Bernd Gärtner, Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Computer Science. Also involved is the ETH AI Center, which will offer an AI project for MAS participants, among other things.

Master's degree programme in Space Systems starts in autumn

The appointment of Thomas Zurbuchen as the new ETH Professor of Space Science and Technology and Head of the ETH Zurich Space initiative with effect from August 2023 will be accompanied by the launch of the new specialised Master’s degree programme in Space Systems. The Executive Board has now issued the 2024 study regulations for this programme. The first course is planned for the 2024 autumn semester.

The degree programme will focus on the current and future space industry, its transformative impact on science in and from space, as well as commercial aspects and defence. The focus is on technological innovation, entrepreneurial spaceflight and sustainability in space.

In order to do justice to the intended interdisciplinary approach, the MSc Space Systems was designed as a joint programme of the Department of Earth Sciences (D-ERDW), Physics (D-PHYS), Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET) and Mechanical and Process Engineering D-MAVT). D-ERDW acts as the leading department (“Leading House”).

Further information can be found in this edition of ETH News.

Optimised processes for ETH financial planning

Budgeting and financial planning at ETH Zurich will be simplified. The Executive Board has approved a proposal by the Vice President for Finance and Controlling to optimise the financial planning processes. A scenario and simulation model will replace the previous medium-term planning (MFP) in strategic financial planning and a more dynamic rolling forecast will replace current budgeting in the area of short-term, operational financial management. The corresponding processes and software solutions are being developed and will be introduced in the coming months.

The changes mainly affect the Central Administrative Units. They are described in more detail in the following news article in Internal news.