Learning from each other
Knowledge grows through dialogue: we learn by explaining and understand by listening. ETH helps facilitate this process – in continuing education, in vocational training and at the science-policy interface.
Learning isn’t confined to lecture halls, labs and seminar rooms. It also thrives on dialogue, collaboration and shared experiences. In fact, learning is seldom a one-way street. By explaining, we deepen our understanding; by observing, we gain new perspectives; and by listening, we acquire new knowledge. In short, learning is a reciprocal process that thrives on the sharing of ideas and experience.
This principle is particularly potent at a university like ETH Zurich, a melting pot of diverse backgrounds, expertise and experience. Here, learning is a meeting of equals, a two-way process that transcends traditional hierarchies and fosters an
interdisciplinary exchange between researchers and practitioners and learners and teachers, as well as scientists and policymakers.
Globe A winning formula for education
This text appeared in the 25/02 issue of the ETH magazine Globe.
Real-world inspiration
The ETH School for Continuing Education offers around 80 courses, over half of which are centred on project-based learning. Ranging from short workshops to multi-year programmes, they attract professionals from industry and the public sector. This influx of real-world experience is a significant asset, says Stefano Brusoni, Vice Rector for Continuing Education: “Participants on our courses introduce issues from their day-to-day work, and the questions they raise provide inspiration for our own research.”
Course coordinators support participants in developing solutions they can use back in the workplace. “This connection to the real world helps us ensure that our courses are rigorous and relevant,” says Brusoni. This interaction can even spark entirely new avenues of thought. “It’s not uncommon for participants to highlight issues that would never have cropped up in a purely academic context,” says Brusoni, noting that the most inspiring exchanges often arise with leaders from the non-profit and public sectors, who tend to face challenges of major societal relevance.
“The questions participants raise provide inspiration for our own research.”Stefano Brusoni, Vice Rector for Continuing Education at ETH Zurich
Continuing education also plays an important role at a strategic level. “Our programmes support people in the transition from specialist to leadership roles – itself a key aspect of lifelong learning,” says Brusoni. A good example of this is the MAS ETH in AI and Digital Technology. Established by the Department of Computer Science, this course equips specialists with the skills required to drive transformation within their companies. “ETH provides the learning they need,” says Brusoni, “but it also offers a platform for networking with other industries.” Yet continuing education is about more than just providing a service. “Our course participants are students not customers,” says Brusoni. “That’s what allows real dialogue to flourish.” And it’s this aspect that the ETH School for Continuing Education hopes to develop further, especially when it comes to novel technologies and formats.
To cement the debate around new formats and course offerings on the institutional level, the School for Continuing Education actively en?gages with its own community through ETH network events and a continuing education forum. Last year’s forum event, entitled “What does the future of continuing education look like?”, brought together lecturers, programme coordinators and external experts. Forum meetings are primarily aimed at ETH lecturers, especially those who are already involved in continuing education or who are keen to offer their own course or study programme.
Fresh perspectives
The dynamic, collaborative aspects of learning also come to the fore in ETH’s vocational education and training (VET) programmes. Almost 200 appren?tices and trainees are currently pursuing VET courses at ETH in 15 different occupations – not in isolation but rather fully integrated in the univer?sity’s day-to-day operations. They rotate through various departments, working as electronics technicians, for example, or as physics, chemistry or biology lab assistants in research laboratories. “Apprentices and trainees are treated as fully fledged members of the group with their own projects and responsibilities,” says Fabienne Jaquet, who heads up vocational education and training at ETH.
“Some apprentices and trainees take on specific tasks in doctoral projects.”Fabienne Jaquet, head of Vocational Education and Training at ETH Zurich
Examples include a project run by an electronics apprentice who is currently embedded in a research team working on optical sensor calibration. The results of his work could end up yielding valuable material for an academic paper. Doctoral candidates also reap rewards from this collaboration: “Some apprentices and trainees provide support with experi?ments, or take on specific tasks in doctoral projects,” says Jaquet. The supervisory or mentorship role also hones new skills in those offering guidance. “For young researchers, providing instruction might give them their first taste of leadership, since the training process also involves supervising and coaching,” says Jaquet.
Apprentices and trainees can also inject a refreshingly new outlook. “They come up with questions that nobody on the team is asking any more. That can make people think in new ways,” she says. Many are also remarkably adept at using equipment, software or digital tools and have a strong solution-oriented mindset – qualities highly valued by their teams. One opportunity to showcase this talent is at the SwissSkills championship of vocational skills, where an ETH electronics apprentice secured fourth place in 2023. “That got the ball rolling,” says Jaquet, explaining how this led to the creation of a talent development programme that will be implemented this year.
Moreover, ETH apprentices in IT, media and commercial fields get the chance to take on in-house assignments through Young‘n’Rising, a team they lead themselves. These are not theoretical exercises but real-world projects such as building websites, creating presentations and supervising IT projects. Apprentices work together in interdisciplinary groups and engage directly with their clients at ETH. An instructor provides behind-the-scenes support, but the apprentices retain full responsibility for their work and output.
Science and policy
Dialogue between academia and government provides more fertile ground for reciprocal learning. The Science-Policy Interface, led by Benedikt Knüsel, plays a pivotal role in connecting researchers with policymakers, particularly those in public adminis?tration. “Evidence-informed policy decisions rely not merely on academic knowledge, but on having the right knowledge at the right time,” says Knüsel. “And academics need to understand how political processes work so they can put their knowledge into action.”
One networking initiative designed to nurture this dialogue is the ETH Policy Fellowship for executives in public administration. Participants work their way through a curated programme, meeting researchers and discussing current challenges, all while themselves offering valuable insights into the realities of their day-to-day policymaking.
“Evidence-informed policy decisions rely on having the right knowledge at the right time.”Benedikt Knüsel, head of the Science-Policy Interface at ETH Zurich
“We make it clear to the Fellows that they are not passive consumers but rather active participants,” says Knüsel. The impact is tangible: for instance, one Fellow received practical input in the context of negotiations with the EU on the free movement of persons – specifically, on which factors could be taken into account in Switzerland’s domestic implementation of the safeguard clause. Another Fellow, from the Federal Office of Public Health, teamed up with researchers who are now supporting her in implementing a parliamentary motion on medical devices. The creation of a network with researchers working on the security of medicine supply proved so successful that it continued beyond the Fellowship’s duration. And the benefits extend both ways: reviews within ETH have shown that researchers significantly enhance their understanding of public administration and political decision-making processes through these interactions.
To strengthen this vital interface between the natural sciences, technology and policymaking, ETH is establishing a new centre: the ETH School of Public Policy. Its objectives include promoting co-design processes and incorporating real-world policymaking considerations into the early stages of research. “We want researchers to be able to contribute easily and effectively,” says Knüsel.
Open to new perspectives
All three experts agree that successful learning is rooted in dialogue and requires time, transparency and trust. “We have to be open to other points of view, even if they contradict our own thinking,” says Brusoni. He suggests that learning from other people is about more than just sharing know?ledge. It also involves self-reflection and a certain mindset.
Jaquet underscores the importance of continuous development for trainers themselves: “The fresh perspectives and questions raised by the younger generation can be challenging, but they are also enriching. If we want to build a successful learning relationship, we need to treat these young people as equals.” It’s not only the apprentices and trainees who evolve, she says, but also those providing the instruction. This reciprocal relationship is paramount, Knüsel agrees: “Learning from each other also means bridging cultural divides – between policymakers and scientists, and between public administration and researchers.” Critical to success is a certain degree of trust, he adds: “Much of this dialogue takes place informally, on the basis of mutual understanding and trust.”
Ultimately, this wide range of examples illustrates how learning is about knowing how to listen. At ETH, we provide a forum that encourages us to do this, be that in continuing edu?cation, in vocational training or at the science-policy interface. The outcome transcends mere knowledge transfer, fostering a shared development for all involved.