ETH News

ETH Professor Nicola Spaldin will soon take over one of the Vice Presidencies of the European Research Council. In this interview, she explains what the role means for her as a researcher, and what it means to her personally.?

Gregor Spuhler has headed up the Archives of Contemporary History (AfZ), home to important historical resources, for 18 years. In this interview, he talks about what he thinks about Nazi comparisons and why Switzerland needs a memorial for the victims of National Socialism right now.?

War in Europe, the escalating rivalry between the USA and China - the rapidly shifting geopolitical situation is focussing more than ever on the question of how Swiss universities will be able to protect their knowledge.

Approximately 600 guests celebrated ETH Zurich's 170th anniversary on Saturday. Federal Councillor Beat Jans, Rector G¨¹nther Dissertori and ETH President Jo?l Mesot emphasised the importance for academia of an open Switzerland, informed individuals and the courage to embrace uncertainty.?

How do spatial planners handle AI, regulation, biodiversity and housing shortages? In this interview, the program managers of the continuing education programme MAS in Spatial Development at ETH Zurich show why good planning begins with people.?

On 21?October, the University opened a new interdisciplinary centre to improve links between science, technology and policymaking. The director of the centre, Tobias Schmidt, talks about the first activities planned for the Einstein School of Public Policy.

The Energy Science Center at ETH Zurich is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Executive Director Christian Schaffner sits down with us to take a look back at the Center¡¯s beginnings, the key moments, and the current challenges. He also explains why the upcoming Energy Week is more than just a professional event.?

Ranked eleventh, ETH Zurich is once again placed among the world¡¯s best universities in this year¡¯s Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. This means it remains the highest-ranked university outside the Anglo-Saxon sphere.

Effy Vayena will take up the post of Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations on 1 January 2026. The following is a portrait to commemorate her election by the ETH Board.

As part of its commitment to sustainable construction, ETH Zurich is introducing integrated design-build processes.?

The Robotics and AI Institute (RAI) in Zurich Oerlikon celebrated the opening of its new centre on 15 September. Marco Hutter, ETH professor of robotic systems and director of the RAI Institute Zurich, sat down with us to talk about the new opportunities that the research centre opens up and how it came about.

ETH Zurich¡¯s Institute of Cartography and Geoinformation has just celebrated its 100th anniversary with a symposium for experts. A commemorative publication provides in-depth insights into 170 years of cartography at the university and is also aimed at laypeople interested in map art and a well-told (hi)story.?

The autumn semester at ETH Zurich begins on 15 September. Whereas the number of new Bachelor¡¯s degree students remains flat, the number of Master¡¯s degree students has seen a slight increase.

The HIL building on the H?nggerberg campus is set to become a living lab. Now in need of renovation, the building will be remodelled and extended, with completion pencilled in for 2035.?Professorships at ETH Zurich will engage with the project directly to research techniques and designs. Their aim is to advance sustainable redevelopment and retrofitting methods.

ETH Zurich will receive 10 million Swiss francs a year from the J?rg G. Bucherer-Foundation for the next ten years. The university will use the funds to establish a competence centre for Earth observation with global appeal and a physical presence in the Canton of Lucerne. The Canton of Lucerne is to support the project as infrastructure partner.

Christian Wolfrum has played a key role in the evolution of medical research at ETH Zurich. Now he¡¯s taking on a new challenge in Singapore.

Following the resignation of the ETH Alumni Association Board of Directors, outgoing President Jeannine Pilloud looks back on the last two years and explains where the Association stands today.

According to the recently published QS World University Rankings 2026, ETH Zurich ranks among the world¡¯s ten best universities once again this year. It took the top spot in continental Europe, with only universities in the US and the United Kingdom ranking higher.?

ETH Zurich has set up a master's programme in mechatronics in collaboration with Ashesi University in Ghana. The first cohort of students is now graduating. The project aims to contribute to sustainable industrialisation in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Graphische Sammlung ETH Z¨¹rich boasts a collection of some 160,000 prints and drawings by artists such as D¨¹rer, Rembrandt and Warhol. Its new exhibition, NEOGEO, marks an experimental turn, featuring the work of three contemporary female artists.

Over 2,700 donors and partners supported ETH Zurich philanthropically in 2024. The ETH Foundation annual report provides insights into the wide-ranging support for projects and individuals over the last year.

ETH Zurich is expanding its activities in the field of artificial intelligence, boosting Switzerland¡¯s status as an AI hub. The university is also addressing the country¡¯s skilled labour shortage through its education and training programmes. However, ETH Zurich fears that an impending paradigm shift in tuition fees could pose a challenge to its model of success.

At a ceremony in Los Angeles on 5 April, the four major experimental collaborations at CERN¡¯s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) ¨C ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb ¨C were awarded the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

ETH Zurich has provided its final report to the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) on the ¡°Leading House Asia¡± mandate. After more than 20 years and around 1,000 funded projects, the University has declined to apply for a new mandate period. The University of Zurich will take on the future role of Leading House for research cooperation with Asia.

Elsbeth Stern will give her farewell lecture on 27?March. Stern, who conducts research on the topics of learning and teaching, has helped shape the discussion around the transition to the baccalaureate school in Switzerland. We talked to her one more time about her insights.

In a total of 16 disciplines, the university ranks among the 10 best in the world. These are the latest results of the QS World University Rankings according to subject.

Nine hundred participants, including two Federal Councillors, attended ETH Zurich to take part in the International Cooperation (IC) Forum, a joint event organised by SDC and SECO. Over the course of two days, they engaged in discussions on issues related to economic development.

The three events of the first series were fully booked. Now ETH professor Thomas Michaels is returning with a second series of his cooking show in March, with prestigious guests and scientific explanations for the preparation of food and drinks.?

The ¡°Institutional Priorities 2025¨C2036¡± and the ¡°Development Plan 2025¨C2028¡± set out how the university plans to fulfil its mission over the coming years.

2024 saw ETH Zurich once again confirm its position as a global leader in research and teaching ¨C be it in the field of biology, energy sciences or space research.

Professor Ciira wa Maina is the Chair of Data Science Africa, a founding member of the International Computation and AI Network (ICAIN), an initiative to democratise artificial intelligence (AI). In an interview with ETH News, he explains how AI can help African farmers and why Europe benefits from cooperation.

Vice President of Research Christian Wolfrum is leaving ETH as of 1 July 2025 to take up a new academic challenge: he is to become Deputy President and Provost responsible for all academic matters at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).

The coloured Cube has been around for 50 years. Its inventor, Ern? Rubik, celebrated his 80th birthday this year. At the invitation of the ETH Department of Mathematics, he spent some time in Zurich to discuss the fascination of the Rubik¡¯s Cube with researchers, students and children.

Rector G¨¹nther Dissertori explained on the 169th anniversary of ETH Zurich the fundamental objective he was pursuing with a reform package in teaching. President of ETH Zurich Jo?l Mesot and Federal Councillor Albert R?sti also spoke to the many guests from politics, business and science. The Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications and former ETH graduate gave this year¡¯s ceremonial address.

As part of a two-day state visit, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd visited ETH Zurich. The two leaders attended the Swiss-Czech Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Forum.

For those with a conventional leg prosthesis, climbing stairs and negotiating uneven terrain are almost insurmountable obstacles. But drawing on ETH expertise, Team Ottobock.X3 has now designed an intelligent prosthesis that helps its wearer move about more freely.

ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne (EPFL) are intensifying their collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI). They have founded the Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI) with the aim of addressing challenges in AI by leveraging their broad scientific expertise. Funding for the related research programs has been secured.

This year¡¯s Cybathlon introduces a new discipline, the Vision Assistance Race. Lining up to go is Team SightGuide ¨C a joint venture between UZH, ZHAW and ETH.

Thomas Michaels, ETH Zurich Professor of Soft and Living Matter Physics, launches the ETH show series "Cook the Science". Together with well-known chefs and food producers, he will present the fascinating science behind cooking, from the basic physical and chemical properties of food to how these change during cooking.

On 14 September, ETH Zurich officially inaugurated the new "Alps" supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano. The celebrations in Lugano were attended by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and well-known personalities from the worlds of science and politics.

On 16 September, ETH Zurich will welcome about 27,000 students for the Autumn Semester, according to provisional figures. The growth in student numbers continues apace.

Just last year, the Academic Motorsports Club Zurich AMZ reclaimed a world record title. Now, the student team has wrapped up their Formula Student racing season this year with an unmatched performance that exceeds that of all other student race teams in the circuit.

The exhibition ¡°Colonial Traces ¨C Collections in Context¡± opens today in the extract exhibition space. It explores the past of objects from the ETH Zurich collections and sheds light on the connection between the natural sciences and colonialism.

From 25 to 27 October, the third Cybathlon will take place in the Swiss Arena in Kloten, Switzerland. This is the world¡¯s largest competition in which people with disabilities master everyday tasks with the help of newly developed assistive technologies. For this Cybathlon, the six existing disciplines were further developed, and two new ones added: a race with intelligent vision assistive technologies and one with assistant robots.

The Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich has been renamed the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, abbreviated to D-EAPS, effective 1 August. Head of Department Johan Robertsson explains why the renaming was both logical and necessary.

Tartan track instead of therapeutics. Rowing technique instead of control technology. Three students from ETH Zurich are taking part in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Get to know them in these short portraits.

Manu Kapur has been Director of the Singapore ETH Centre (SEC) since the beginning of the year. In this interview, he talks about which research programmes will be continued in Singapore, which new programmes will be created, and how researchers from across the ETH Domain can get involved in the SEC.

Since 1991, 14 June has in Switzerland traditionally stood under the banner of feminist campaigns and causes. Julia Dannath, Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership, explains in an interview why commitment to equal opportunities and gender equality is still needed three decades later ¨C including at ETH Zurich.

The Gloria Cube is ETH Zurich¡¯s newest building in the Zurich City university district. Teaching, research and translation are all carried out in the service of health and medicine here. At the end of last week, ETH Zurich celebrated the laboratory and research building¡¯s inauguration.

ETH Zurich maintains its excellent ranking from the previous year in the QS rankings just published. Alongside top scores for its academic reputation and international outlook, the university¡¯s efforts in the area of sustainability have also helped it to retain seventh place. The faculty-student ratio remains the indicator in which the university scores lowest.

ETH Zurich announces its expedition towards climate neutrality today with pop-up events by students and the first Net Zero Day. The "ETH Net Zero" programme supports the reduction of emissions by 2030 and offers people plenty of ways to get involved.

ETH Zurich¡¯s new BSS teaching and research building on the Sch?llem?tteli life science campus in Basel will officially open its doors today. The building will host ETH researchers from the fields of experimental biology, bioinformatics, and bioengineering as they work together with outside partners on innovative medical solutions.

This morning at 11.30 a.m. around 100 people from pro-Palestinian, Marxist groups set up a protest in the main hall in the main building of ETH Zurich. After repeated requests to leave the building, which the demonstrators did not comply with, the demonstration was broken up by the police at the request of ETH Zurich.

In its annual report 2023 published today, ETH Zurich looks back on a successful year. For some years, however, the budget has not kept pace with the growth in student numbers. The growth rates projected by the Federal Council in the 2025-2028 ERI Dispatch are therefore forcing the university to consider drastic measures in research and teaching.

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) unveiled its 2024 World University Rankings by Subject. ETH Zurich landed with 3 subjects in the top spot. A further 14 placed within the top ten in the world.

Helping to shape the digital transformation, empowering brilliant young talent and more research for the health of children and adolescents: the ETH Foundation's annual report shows what the commitment of more than 2700 donors and partners has achieved for a wide range of topics in 2023.

Heinrich Ursprung was President of ETH Zurich from 1973 to 1987. He led the bilateral negotiations between Switzerland and the EU in the field of research in his capacity as State Secretary in the 1990s. This influential figure in the Swiss higher education landscape passed away shortly before his 92nd birthday.

Two years ago, Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine. One direct consequence of the conflict is the destruction of buildings and infrastructure. Now an exhibition in the ETH Main Building entitled ¡°ETH with Ukraine¡± is showing how buildings, facilities and the environment in Ukraine can be protected or restored.

With its highly qualified graduates, cutting-edge research and knowledge transfer, ETH Zurich exists to serve Swiss society. The university demonstrated this once again in 2023. ETH News looks back at an eventful year.

ETH Zurich and the Dieter Schwarz Foundation have signed a far-reaching letter of intent to establish a new teaching and research centre for responsible digital transformation with a global reach. Thanks to the foundation¡¯s donations, around 20 new professorships are to be created over the next 30 years in Zurich and on the foundation¡¯s teaching campus in Heilbronn.

ETH Zurich¡¯s collections and archives include plenty of hidden treasures. Some of these are now on display in the new ¡°extract¡± exhibition space in the Main Building.

What happens when cities gear their road space primarily to the needs of cyclists and e-bikers? On a new popular-science website, ETH researchers use examples from the city of Zurich to show what such an ¡°E-Bike City¡± could one day look like.

On the 168th anniversary of ETH Zurich, Rector G¨¹nther Dissertori set out his vision for further improvements in teaching. ETH President Jo?l Mesot and SNB Chair Thomas Jordan spoke about how ETH contributes to a strong Switzerland and what it needs to continue its mission in the future.

ETH Zurich will join the League of European Research Universities (LERU) on 1 January 2024. This will boost its networking with the European university landscape.

Dimos Poulikakos is retiring in January 2024. The ETH Professor of Thermodynamics has developed many practical applications. His lectures on the fundamentals of thermodynamics have delighted more than 8,000 students; now he passes on a piece of advice for aspiring researchers.

Nothing less than the future of the democratic world was the topic of the visit of Moldovan President Maia Sandu to ETH Zurich. Together with Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation, she took part in a panel discussion in the Audi Max yesterday.

On 18 September, ETH Zurich will welcome more than 25,000 students for the Autumn Semester, according to provisional figures. Enrolment at the Bachelor¡¯s level has risen for the first time since the pandemic.

With the return of the original telescope from 1864, the year the observatory was founded, ETH is taking a further step towards collecting, documenting and preserving its architectural and scientific heritage.

Vanessa Wood, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations, wants to expand research collaborations with industry, governmental agencies and non-profit organisations. She has recruited Jeannine Pilloud, who brings a wealth of industry experience, to help her with this task.

At Scientifica, Switzerland's largest science festival, 20,000 to 30,000 visitors experienced science up close this weekend. They exchanged ideas with around 1000 researchers from ETH and the University of Zurich, who presented their work at exhibition booths, in short lectures, workshops or on laboratory tours.

At the ETH Industry Day on 6 September, companies can get first-hand information on current projects, partnerships, and entrepreneurial activities at ETH Zurich.

Over the coming months, ETH Zurich will be taking a particularly close look at Ticino. The University¡¯s Graphische Sammlung is not only presenting a new exhibition on artistic activity in and around the canton of Ticino but also opening a unique exhibition at MASI in Lugano.

ETH Zurich mourns the death of materials scientist Ueli W. Suter, ETH Professor Emeritus and former Vice President Research. A personal obituary by his long-time colleague Nicholas Spencer, Professor Emeritus of Surface Science and Technology.

On the weekend of 2-3 September, visitors can experience science up close and personal at interactive exhibition stands, shows and workshops and exchange ideas with researchers. Scientifica, Switzerland's largest science festival starts on 26 August with events in the city of Zurich. Free tickets are available now.

An ETH Zurich architectural centrepiece ¨C the machine laboratory¨C has been renovated. The historically significant machine hall has been extensively restored to its original condition. The renovation provides ETH with additional space for research and teaching.

The 55th International Chemistry Olympiad ended with a closing ceremony on Monday afternoon, 24 July. Out of 348 participants, 217 were awarded gold, sil-ver, or bronze medals. The Swiss team took home an "honourable mention."

ETH Zurich will host the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) between 16 and 25 July. More than 300 young scientists from some 90 countries are expected to participate. This is the first time that Switzerland is hosting the event.

ETH Zurich has moved up two positions to take seventh place in the current QS Rankings. This confirms its top position in continental Europe due in large part to its citations per faculty and academic reputation. For the first time, the rankings took into account the metrics graduates¡¯ employment outcomes, sustainability and international research network.

ETH Zurich and EPFL want to work with partners from politics, science and industry to push innovative storage and transport solutions for renewable energy carriers. The overall goal is to create a climate-neutral and flexible energy system for Switzerland. Around 20 partners and industrial companies have already voiced their interest in a collaboration.

The Collegium Helveticum opens an exhibition this weekend that is all about data, patterns and artificial intelligence.

The Morphs are here! The smart, eager-to-learn creatures are now waiting in the ETH main building for players to train them. "Morph Tales - Exploring Artificial Intelligence" is a new game from ETH Zurich that is fun to play and shows how humans and AI master tasks together.

Security of energy supply in a fossil-free Switzerland is feasible and affordable according to a new white paper from an expert group at the Energy Science Center. It will require increased production of renewables and efficient energy trading with neighbouring countries.

Professor Wendelin Stark and Nevena Paunovi? were both chemistry Olympians. In 2023, they will return to the Olympiad in new roles. In this interview, they reveal how the Olympiad has influenced their lives and careers, and what participants can expect from the host country and the competition.

A newspaper article about a study conducted by the University of Zurich claims that women students are less ambitious than their male counterparts and not interested in pursuing a career. Julia Dannath, Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership, comments on why this conclusion has alienated her.

Each year, the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich analyses key geopolitical trends. Oliver Thr?nert, head of the think tank at the CSS, explains which new developments will impact global affairs. A conversation on European security and China as a challenge to the transatlantic alliance.

ETH Zurich is boosting its medical research and establishing a new site in Schlieren. It is leasing a new building (SSA) right next to the Bio-Technopark in Schlieren; the site is currently being set up as a laboratory building for medical research.

On Friday, an era came to an end. For 20 years, Robert Perich helped to shape the development of ETH Zurich as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), restructured Finance & Controlling and developed it into an instrument of university management. It was important to him that the professorships and departments manage their funds autonomously and that ETH pursue a sustainable financial policy.

As of today, the ETH Zurich annual report for 2022 is available online. This is the first time it has been published in digital form. It provides an interactive tour through the different areas of the university, as well as describing how ETH functions and the contribution it makes to Swiss society.

In the latest QS rankings by subject, ETH ranks among the top ten in 16 disciplines. In the earth sciences, it comes in first place.

Stefan Spiegel will head up Finance and Controlling at ETH Zurich starting on 1 April 2023. The 52-year-old Swiss manager and finance expert boasts extensive leadership experience in state-affiliated firms and stock-listed companies.

What is it like to study computer science at ETH? 33 female high school students attended a one-week taster course in February to find out.

What is the status of equality at ETH? What challenges do our female students face? Young women provide information on International Women's Day.

The Thomas Mann Archive in the ETH Main Building provides insights into the author¡¯s lifelong interests, works and personal effects. A ceremony to celebrate the reopening of the famous archive will be held this evening.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science takes place each year on 11 February. To mark the occasion, we take a look back at the history of women at ETH Zurich.

The grass-roots movement founded by architectural students and scientific staff has been awarded the Prix Meret Oppenheim in recognition of its engagement in driving fundamental change in the Department of Architecture of ETH Zurich.

The 19 January visit of Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea, to ETH Zurich focused on Quantum Science.

A special year is soon coming to an end. In 2022, much has been researched, developed and invented at ETH Zurich. ETH News looks back on an eventful past year.

Detlef G¨¹nther is stepping down from his role as Vice President for Research to devote more time to his own research work. A look back over eight successful years.

As part of a two-day state visit to Switzerland, the Italian President stopped off at ETH Zurich on Wednesday (30 November) in the company of President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis. After a welcome by ETH President Jo?l Mesot and some words of greeting from the two guests, researchers and students of the university provided an insight into their work.

ETH Zurich offers interested students from the seventh grade onwards courses in which they can deepen their knowledge of mathematical and scientific subjects. Since spring 2021, more than 2,000 students have taken part in the ETH Youth Academy courses.