ETH Day 2025
On 22 November 2025, ETH Zurich celebrated the university's 170th anniversary on ETH Day together with guests from the worlds of research, politics and business.
ETH Day is traditionally a day to honour members of the ETH community who have made outstanding contributions over the past year. The VSETH student association recognised lecturers who have gone the extra mile for their students. In addition, two students from the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences gave an insight into their work at this year's ETH Day.
Impressions from ETH Day 2025
In his speech, ETH President Jo?l Mesot says that educational institutions such as ETH Zurich strengthen prosperity and democracy because they promote informed citizens.
Federal Councillor Beat Jans studied at ETH Zurich. On ETH Day, he emphasised that research into climate, artificial intelligence, cyber security and societal risks strengthens the country's sovereignty.
The Zurich Academic Orchestra performed under the baton of conductor Lukas Meister.
Luca Marie Leisten, a doctoral student from the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Political Science, provided insight into her doctoral thesis. She is investigating how social robots are received by teachers and students.
You can find all pictures in this external page gallery.
Video recording of this year's ETH Day (German only):
Prof. Dr Günther Dissertori
Rector of ETH Zurich
Günther Dissertori has been Rector of ETH Zurich since February 2022 and Professor of Physics since 2001. As Rector, he is responsible for all matters relating to teaching as well as for the organisation and quality assurance of academic operations. He is also Deputy President. Born in South Tyrol, he studied and obtained his doctorate at the University of Innsbruck. As a doctoral student, he conducted research at CERN in Geneva, where he later helped set up the CMS experiment at the large particle accelerator. This experiment contributed to the discovery of the Higgs particle. As a lecturer, Dissertori received the Golden Owl award for good teaching from his students four times, as well as the Award for Best Teaching.
Prof. Dr Jo?l Mesot
President of ETH Zurich
Jo?l Mesot has been a full professor of physics since 2008 and president of ETH Zurich since 2019, where he originally studied and earned his doctorate in solid-state physics. As president, he bears overall legal and political responsibility for the university. He leads the process of appointing new professors and defines the strategy together with the school management and other ETH committees. He is also responsible for maintaining relationships with authorities, politicians and the public. Between 2008 and 2018, he was Director of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). Prior to that, he spent several years conducting research in France and the USA in the field of solid state physics.
Federal Councillor Beat Jans
Head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP)
Beat Jans was elected to the Federal Council on 13 December 2023. Born in 1964, he grew up in Riehen in the canton of Basel-Stadt. Jans successfully completed an apprenticeship as a farmer. He then obtained a diploma in agricultural engineering from the Technical College for Tropical Agriculture and, in 1994, a diploma in environmental sciences from ETH Zurich. Jans worked as a consultant in the fields of environment and communication. He lectured at the University of Basel and was a member of the executive board of the nature conservation organisation Pro Natura. Jans was president of the SP Basel-Stadt, a member of the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt, later a member of the National Council and vice-president of the SP Switzerland. Before his election to the Federal Council in 2023, he was president of the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt. Beat Jans is married and has two daughters.
Clemens Walter
VSETH President
Clemens Walter grew up in Küttigen near Aarau and attended the Alte Kantonsschule Aarau. He has always had a passion for science. Clemens Walter therefore decided to study electrical engineering at ETH Zurich, which he began in 2019. For two semesters, he was responsible for IT on the board of the AMIV student association, before becoming increasingly involved in university politics as its Vice-President and ultimately joining the VSETH. Clemens Walter has been president of the ETH Student Union (VSETH) since September 2025. The VSETH is the umbrella organisation for all students at ETH Zurich and, as the official student representative body, exercises its participation rights at ETH Zurich. With 17 specialist associations and a wide variety of committees, the VSETH is also an integral part of student life at ETH Zurich.
Heinz M. Buhofer
Long-standing CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the Metall Zug Group, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tech Cluster Zug
for his successful entrepreneurial work, his extraordinary commitment to research, innovation ecosystems, the future of energy and young entrepreneurship.
Heinz M. Buhofer studied economics at the University of St. Gallen. He shaped the development of the Metall Zug Group for almost four decades. He made a significant contribution to the company's success in various key positions. In 1984, he joined the family-owned company Metall Zug, where he served as CEO from 2002 to 2008 and as a member of the Board of Directors from 1997 to 2022. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Zug Estates Holding from 2012 to 2018, serving as Chairman until 2014, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Metall Zug Group from 2013 to 2019. Today, Heinz M. Buhofer is involved in the boards of trustees of various organisations in the fields of sustainability, energy and urban development, as well as negative CO?emissions, reforestation and CO? mineralisation.
Dr Hanspeter F?ssler
Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of D?twyler Holding, co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of ANYbotics AG
For his extraordinary commitment to ETH Zurich and the ETH Foundation, as well as his long-standing membership of the Industrial Advisory Board of the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, his support for numerous ETH spin-offs and his mentoring of young talent.
Hanspeter F?ssler studied mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich and Stanford University. As the first doctoral student in robotics under Professor Gerhard Schweitzer, he laid the foundations for the globally successful robotics research at ETH Zurich today. After completing his academic career, he joined ABB in 1989. He was Country Manager for ABB Switzerland and ABB France and, until 2010, Head of the Mediterranean Region and CEO of ABB Italy. He then became CEO of Implenia AG. He returned to ABB in 2012 and headed the global Grid Systems division until the end of 2014. Since then, Hanspeter F?ssler has been shaping companies and ETH spin-offs (including ANYbotics, Drone Harmony and Gravis Robotics) as a member of the Board of Directors. He is also involved in various advisory boards and committees at ETH and the ETH Foundation.
Honorary doctorate from ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich awards honorary doctorates to individuals in recognition of their outstanding scientific work and to honour their significant achievements in science, teaching and practice or in the synthesis of research and practical work.
The following individuals will be awarded honorary doctorates from ETH Zurich in 2025
Prof. Dr Mercouri Kanatzidis
for groundbreaking advances in solid-state chemistry, the innovative development of novel materials and their effective application in practice.
Mercouri Kanatzidis studied chemistry at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki (B.Sc. 1979) and received his doctorate from the University of Iowa (Ph.D.) in 1984. He is a professor of chemistry at Northwestern University (USA) and a senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. Kanatzidis discovered and developed numerous novel inorganic materials: he created high-performance thermoelectric materials for the efficient conversion of heat into electricity and established halide perovskites as highly efficient materials for solar cells and radiation detectors. Kanatzidis is also considered a pioneer in chalcogenide chemistry. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize (2023) and the ENI Award (2015).
Prof. Dr Alexandra Navrotsky
for her outstanding contributions to the fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics of various classes of materials and her significant influence on solid state chemistry, mineralogy and materials science.
Alexandra Navrotsky looks back on a career spanning 60 years. After completing her studies and doctorate at the University of Chicago and postdoctoral work in Germany and the USA, she was appointed assistant professor at Arizona State University at the age of 26. Sixteen years later, she moved to Princeton University as a professor, and in 1997 she accepted a position at UC Davis, where she founded an interdepartmental research initiative in the field of new (nano)materials. Since 2019, she has headed the Navrotsky-Eyring Centre for Space Materials. Alexandra Navrotsky is a world-leading authority in the field of thermodynamics of complex materials and is one of the most innovative and influential scientists at the interface of geophysics and materials science. She is also a pioneer in her commitment to diversity and inclusion in science.
Prof. Dr George Sterman
for his groundbreaking theoretical research in particle physics, in particular the discovery of concepts and structures in quantum chromodynamics that serve as the basis for the theoretical interpretation of collision experiments and enable precise tests of the fundamental laws of nature in high-energy physics.
George Sterman received his doctorate from the University of Maryland in 1974. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois, Stony Brook University and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In 2001, he became director of the institute and in 2004 he was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor. In 2017, he served as Schr?dinger Professor at ETH Zurich. His work provides essential foundations for the application of quantum field theory to high-energy physics experiments. In 1975, he first showed that it is possible to calculate the cross sections of particle jets, which serve as a reflection of the structure of particle collisions. He then developed a field-theoretical formalism that enables systematic predictions for experiments at particle accelerators. This research contributed significantly to establishing the Standard Model of particle physics and testing proposals for its extension.
Mierle Laderman Ukeles
in recognition of her pioneering work and her highly acclaimed international contributions to the topics of care, maintenance, feminism and sustainability in art, architecture and urban planning.
Conceptual artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles was born in Denver in 1939 and now lives in New York City. In 1962, she began her artistic training (painting and sculpture) at the Pratt Institute in New York. With her "MANIFESTO FOR MAINTENANCE ART 1969!", Mierle Laderman Ukeles broke down the boundaries between art and work. Her works combine feminism, the world of work and the environment, showing how care and maintenance form the foundation of every society. Since 1977, she has been the official, unpaid Artist-in-Residence of the New York City Department of Sanitation. In her works, she addresses the tension between freedom and necessity, the culture of care and the work that "keeps the city alive". Ukeles' works are represented in major museums, including the Whitney Museum, Guggenheim Museum, Migros Museum, Princeton University Art Museum and the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. In her works, she asks whether we can create forms of survival that preserve freedom and individual voice.
Since 1985, the prize, donated by the International Latsis Foundation, has been awarded to young researchers from all disciplines at ETH Zurich up to and including the level of assistant professor. The focus is on their outstanding, independent scientific work at ETH. In 2025, the prize will be awarded to
Prof. Dr Rasmus Kyng
will receive the prize in 2025 for his outstanding achievements in theoretical computer science and, in particular, for his groundbreaking work in the field of "almost linear-time" algorithms, which have solved key open problems and paved the way for future research directions.
The prize, donated by the Fondation Jean-Jacques et Felicia Lopez-Loreta, honours outstanding ETH graduates and enables them to carry out research or innovation projects. The 2025 prize goes to
Dr Ashley Marie Maynard
for her project "Brain injury playbook: comparative genomic strategies across regenerative and non-regenerative models".
The prize, donated by ABB Switzerland, is awarded alternately for outstanding work in the fields of "energy technology" and "information and automation technology " . In 2025, the prize will go to a person from the field of "information and automation technology":
Dr Ri?ards Marcinkevi?s
for his doctoral thesis "Explore, support, and interact: scaling interpretable and explainable machine learning up to realities of biomedical data".
The Heinrich Hatt Bucher Prizes are awarded alternately to the three best master's theses submitted to the Department of Architecture or the Department of Civil Engineering, Environment and Geomatics. In 2025, the prizes will be awarded in the Department of Architecture. They go to:
1st prize: Samuel John Giblin and Paula Katharina Kiener
for their Master's thesis "Zum Beispiel Tartar – Dorfgemeinschaft im Wandel" (For example, Tartar – Village community in transition)
2nd prize: Marc Schertenleib
for his master's thesis "Hourglass – Rethinking an industrial hub"
2nd prize: Philipp Christoph Gmür
for his master's thesis "steam shapes"
3rd prize: Pauline Sauter
for her master's thesis "re-arrangements"
The prize, donated by Hilti AG, honours work that combines outstanding scientific content with practical relevance. In 2025, the prize will be awarded to
Dr Xavier Guidetti
for his doctoral thesis "Intelligent additive manufacturing: a holistic approach to the optimisation of data-poor complex processes".
The IBM Research Research Prize honours work by students in computational chemistry, biology and materials science. In 2025, the prize will go to
Antonia Kuhn
for her master's thesis "Bayesian optimisation of polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries with high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations"
Marlies Reher
for her master's thesis "First-principles studies of interface phenomena in Cr2O3 – Pt hetero-structures"
This prize is awarded for work in the field of water protection and hydrology. The prize will be awarded in 2025 to
Dr Grégoire Saboret
for his doctoral thesis "Trophic dynamics in meta-ecosystems: insights from compound-specific stable isotopes"
Dr Johannes Raths
for his doctoral thesis "Bioaccumulation of polar organic contaminants in aquatic invertebrates: impact of climate, uptake pathways and spatial distribution"
The ETH Zurich Student Union (VSETH) represents the interests of students vis-à-vis the university management and authorities. On ETH Day, Union President Clemens Walter awards the Golden Owl to particularly committed teachers for their excellent teaching. One teacher per department receives this student award.
Students can evaluate all teachers whose lectures they have attended. Neither titles, origin, education nor research quality are taken into account, only the quality and commitment of the lecturers to teaching. Based on these evaluations, the subject associations determine the award winners. Among other things, they take into account the teaching materials used by the lecturer, their commitment outside the course and the quality of student support.
At ETH Zurich, the student survey serves as the basis for awarding the Golden Owl, which is used to nominate candidates for the Alumni Award for Best Teaching. Based on the overall ranking and additional criteria, the VSETH works with the subject associations to determine the winner of the award. In 2025, this prize will be sponsored by the alumni association for the first time.
Alumni Award for Best Teaching 2025
Prof. Dr Taras Gerya, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Green Owl 2025
Prof. Dr Athina Anastasaki, Department of Materials Science
Luca Marie Leisten has been pursuing her doctorate at ETH Zurich under Prof. Dr Emily Cross in the Social Brain Sciences Laboratory since August 2023. Leisten received her bachelor's and master's degrees with honours in psychology and behavioural sciences from PFH G?ttingen and Radboud University Nijmegen. Leisten specialised in the social aspects of human-robot interaction during her bachelor's degree and is continuing this focus in her doctoral studies. Her doctoral thesis deals with the perception and areas of application of social robots in educational contexts. In this context, Leisten is testing the use of low-cost, modular robots to strengthen children's AI skills and investigating how these types of robots are perceived in an educational context.
Margaritha Windisch
Margaritha Windisch is pursuing her doctorate at the Centre for Law & Economics at ETH Zurich under the supervision of Stefan Bechtold, Professor of Intellectual Property Law. After completing a bachelor's degree in business law at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and a master's degree in international and comparative law at the University of Lausanne, she is now researching key legal issues of the age of artificial intelligence (AI) in her dissertation. Using empirical experiments – including with artists – she is investigating how generative AI is changing our understanding of authorship and copyright infringement and what challenges arise at the interface of copyright, art and technology. In addition to her academic work, she is particularly interested in making research findings accessible beyond the academic sphere. Through lectures and interdisciplinary panel discussions, she actively contributes her insights to the social and cultural discourse on law, creativity and AI.
The Zurich Academic Orchestra
The Zurich Academic Orchestra (AOZ) was founded at the beginning of the 20th century and currently has around 80 members. It is open to all students and assistants at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. It is conducted by Martin Lukas Meister, who is internationally active with a broad repertoire in the field of opera and symphony concerts. Martin Lukas Meister is the recipient of the Conductors' Prize of the Swiss Society of Musicians and the Kiefer-Hablitzel Foundation, as well as the 1st Prize of the W. and B. Alter Foundation.
Light art
Gerry Hofstetter (born 1962) is a Swiss light artist with an international reputation. After a successful career in investment banking, he founded his own marketing, event and design agency in Zumikon in 1995. Since 1999, he has devoted himself entirely to light art and, since 2003, has realised numerous projections on monuments, mountains and landscapes worldwide. Hofstetter is also a film producer. He lives and works in Zumikon (Switzerland).
Further information
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