National Future Day at ETH Zurich
Are you interested in finding out more about a particular career? ETH Zurich is offering exactly what you’re looking for: on the morning of 13 November 2025, you can explore the great diversity of the professional world at ETH.
Registration is closed.
Our main offering is tailored to 5th to 7th grade pupils keen to find out more about work and study at ETH Zurich.
The event is open to children whose parents are already ETH members, as well as those of non-ETH employees. This year a quota of tickets will be available at a discount to families with a KulturLegi card.
Basic programme: ETH members can invite children from their own family, or those of relatives and friends, to accompany them to work and give them a taste of everyday working life – as long as safety regulations permit. They are responsible for looking after the children on the day. Make sure you discuss your plans well in advance with your supervisor.
In Zurich, check-in and pick-up of children will take place at either the Zentrum campus or the H?nggerberg campus, depending on the programme selected.
Accessibility
We are committed to providing barrier-free access to the events at ETH Zurich. Unless otherwise stated, we strive to make the programmes accessible to all. If your child needs support due to a disability or chronic illness, please tick the appropriate box in the registration form and we will get back to you or contact us at
Is the universe perhaps a giant doughnut? And what exactly do mathematicians at ETH do?
To better understand the first question, we will dive into the world of flatlanders and build our own flatland universes.
We will also tinker with exciting and entertaining maths problems and gain insight into the everyday research of mathematics professors at ETH Zurich.
Provider: Department of Mathematics, mathematics and training
Check-In und Pick-up: Zentrum campus
Welcome to an exciting day all about the health of tomorrow! Today you'll find out what doctors need to be able to do and how they train. In the skills lab, you'll see how medical students work with ultrasound, almost like a superhero X-ray! When pipetting, you measure tiny amounts of liquid very precisely. You will also learn how to determine blood pressure and maybe even get to try it out yourself! Finally, you will test the hand force measurement, where you can see how hard you can grip.
Experience how doctors are made fit for their important job and perhaps discover your own enthusiasm for medicine! Finally, you will visit various research laboratories: you will learn how working in a laboratory can make an important difference for future patients.
Provider: Department of Health Science and Technology, Medical Studies
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Welcome to the robot experience day! First there will be a round of introductions to our players, the robots. You will learn how robots perceive their environment, how they move around and how they decide whether to pass the ball or take a shot on goal. After you have got to know the robots, you can get active and programme the robots yourself.
The highlight will be the robots' football match. We play 3 against 3! Ask anything you're interested in during the breaks. Ready for exciting robot adventures?
Provider: external page NCCR Automation
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Have you ever asked yourself what’s actually happening with the weather, environment and climate change? Do you want to know about CO2 and its effects? And why people need to do something urgently – and exactly what? We want to give you some answers to these important questions.
We have set up two exciting experiments to explain how clouds are formed and why CO2 is causing global warming. You will learn how a climate model works and where we make our weather forecasts and climate calculations. And you can take a look at the massive computers that crunch the data for our predictions. We are looking forward to inquisitive minds ready to ask a lot of questions!
Provider: Center for Climate Systems Modeling
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
During Future Day at the Soft Robotics Lab, you will immerse yourself in the exciting world of robot hands! Together, we will build a robot hand that can move like a real hand.
First, we will make soft fingers out of silicone. Then we will assemble the fingers into small joints so that they can bend and stretch properly.
Once everything is built, the really cool part begins: you can control the robotic hand yourself remotely! Using special sensors, you will move your own hand – and the robotic hand will do exactly the same.
Finally, we'll take a look at how a 3D printer works. It prints robot components piece by piece – right before your eyes!
Provider: D-MAVT, Soft Robotics Lab
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Have you ever wondered what animals look like on the inside? In this exciting workshop, you will embark on a journey of discovery into a special collection at ETH Zurich.
You will see real bones and models of various animals – from tiny mice to large horses. You will learn how an animal's body works and can choose an organ to examine more closely. You will find out what this organ does in the body, i.e. what its function is. You may also discover whether the organ was healthy or diseased – and how you can tell.
At the end, you will show each other what you have found out –perhaps even in a real lecture hall!
Provider: D-USYS, Animal Physiology
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Accessibility
This programme has limited accessibility.
Please note
This programme is primarily suitable for children in Year 7.
What will the city of the future look like, where we can protect the climate and still live well?
In this exciting game, you become a researcher and help decide how we will use energy in the future. You take on different roles and work with other children to find solutions for a clean and climate-friendly world.
Fun, games and exciting ideas guaranteed!
Provider: Energy Science Center
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Please note
This programme is primarily suitable for children in Year 7.
Have you long dreamt of building your own robot and telling it what to do? With LEGO? MINDSTORMS? construction sets, that’s a simple task.
Once you’ve built your robot, you can programme it. Together we discover which commands you can give it. Do you want it to throw a ball? Lift something up? Or move in a certain direction? You’ll be amazed to see the many things your robot can do!
Provider: external page GirlsCodeToo
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Please note
This programme is exclusively for girls.
The programming language Python lets you write your own mini programmes very quickly. We show you how to do it. Then we dive into the fascinating world of pixels. These tiny coloured dots are the building blocks of every screen image.
Learn how to control, edit and change individual pixels, so you can turn a standard image into your own personal work of art!
Provider: external page GirlsCodeToo
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Please note
This programme is exclusively for girls.
Would you like to bring your own pictures and patterns to life on the computer? Then you've come to the right place!
Using simple programming commands, you control a turtle across the screen. You can draw stairs, circles, colourful flowers or cool geometric shapes – whatever you want. You will learn how to plan commands correctly, think logically and implement creative ideas step by step. And if you want to take it a step further, with a little practice you can even animate your drawings – bringing them to life!
Provider: D-INFK, Training centre
Check-In and Pick-Up: Zentrum campus
Want to build a flashlight yourself? Watch exciting experiments and conduct one of your own? You can do so at this event. We show you how to construct a flashlight in four simple steps. While doing so, you experience four different varieties of vocational training.
First you sketch the design, then in the workshop you get the chance to drill and also solder. Finally, you assemble all the parts of your flashlight. Having worked through different physics experiments as well, now comes the crunch: will your flashlight actually work? Yes, of course it does!
Provider: Department of Physics, training laboratory
Check-In and Pick-up: H?nggerberg campus
Accessibility
This programme is not wheelchair accessible.
Please note
Children must wear closed shoes and tie up their hair.
Would you like to immerse yourself in the exciting world of biology? Then come to our biology teaching lab! Here you can slip into the role of a biology lab technician and carry out fantastic experiments: Make your own DNA necklace, feed and observe microscopic creatures and learn how to grow fungi and bacteria.
You can even find out whether fungi can fart in a great show experiment. Join us and discover the fascinating world of biology!
Provider: Department of Biology, Teaching Lab
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
Please note
Children must wear closed shoes and tie up their hair.
So you love playing video games and would like to have a go at programming one yourself? You’ve come to the right place. We show you how to build your own small 2D programme. You are free to decide whether it should be an adventure or animal game, for example. Next you choose a character and decide whether it’s good or evil. You can take home your new game on a memory stick and carry on playing it, and show it to friends and family.
If you like, tell your teachers you are attending an “Introduction to object-oriented programming using Greenfoot”.
Provider: IT Services department
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
A microscope lets you see minute objects otherwise invisible to the naked eye. At this event you will be able to build your own microscope or “foldscope”. Then we take a look at things on a microscopic scale, such as the wings and legs of flies, prehistoric crabs and onion skins. You will see them 160 times bigger than in real life.
We take photos of the objects with a smartphone. You also have the chance to look through even more powerful microscopes. We know you will be amazed at what you see!
Provider: Department of Biology, Institute for Biochemistry
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
Libraries are not just places full of books, but also treasure troves of knowledge and learning? Our library is a place where students come together to learn, exchange ideas and relax. Imagine you could not only read exciting stories there, but also watch films, browse through magazines and even borrow tools. That's exciting, isn't it?
Did you also know that librarians are real superheroes? Not only do they help you find the best books, they are also experts in the digital world. A versatile apprenticeship!
Let's create our own dream library together! With wood, cardboard, modelling clay and everything that belongs in a perfect library. We look forward to your ideas!
Provider: ETH Library
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
Water is an incredibly powerful force. It displaces river banks, cuts deep valleys in mountains and can generate electricity. What’s more, water is essential for life. To find out more about the capabilities of water, scientists are building giant models that allow us to observe exactly what happens, and when.
We describe the questions we are tackling and how we search for answers. And we demonstrate our models in action! Later, you will be allowed to conduct your own experiment using the hydraulics model. Discover the immense power of water!
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
Accessibility
This programme is not barrier-free.
We invite young scientists to gain an exciting insight into the world of microbes! Together we will use special food called agar plates to isolate different microbes from different environments. This includes samples from washed and unwashed palms, plant leaves, water, soil, air and mobile phone surfaces.
You will be allowed to choose a spot on an agar plate from which we will then identify the tiny organisms using modern molecular biology methods. You can then use your own computer programme to create a digital image of our experiment. You can print out this image and take it home with you to share your discoveries with others!
Provider: Department of Biology, Institute for Microbiology
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
Can you imagine robots capable of constructing walls or floors on building sites? Or 3D printers able to print entire houses at the push of a button? No?! Then come and visit the world’s largest robotics fabrication lab, where humans and robots work alongside each other on a daily basis. First the houses are designed by humans on the computer, then built by robots and printed in 3D.
You’ll be present to witness the robots come to life, and you can watch them as they build. And you can perform small tasks yourself with robots. Come with us on a journey into the futuristic world of construction!
Provider: external page Department of Architecture, NCCR Digital Fabrication
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg 365体育官网_365体育备用【手机在线】
Accessibility
This programme is not barrier-free.
Humans, animals and plants are all made from the same building blocks. But what determines whether you’re a person, a banana or a cat? It’s your DNA. DNA is like a giant cookbook: it contains millions of recipes for producing all the different parts of a living being.
Do you want to find out more about DNA? In our “DNA kitchen”, we’ll extract some DNA from various fruits and examine their different cells under the microscope. You can study the smallest building blocks of life in minute detail!
Provider: Department of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
It’s a bit like a knights’ duel: if we get a cold or flu, it’s because viruses or bacteria have attacked our immune system, which fights against them. Fortunately the body has several ways of defending itself against these invaders.
Do you want to find out more about the body’s white knights? We look at what they do. You will also learn the difference between healthy and sick mice, and those that have fully recovered from a disease. And you can conduct your own experiment to measure the defensive power of different “groups of white knights”. Are you with us?
Provider: Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
Please note
This programme is primarily suitable for children in Year 6 and 7.
Can you imagine a world with no bridges? Zurich without a bridge over the Limmat? Since time immemorial, humans have been building bridges to span deep gorges, rivers or even oceans. Although there have been many modifications, the same basic principles still apply to bridge construction. Astounding, don’t you think?
Visit us to learn about the principles of bridge construction and become a bridge builder yourself. We’ll help you plan your own bridge. We’re looking for the best bridge builders at National Future Day 2024!
Provider: Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Structural Engineering
Check-In and Pick-Up: H?nggerberg campus
Please note
Hand tools will be used (hammers, glue guns, screwdrivers, saws…). Please wear suitable clothing.
How do I make a computer do what I want it to? You can try it out at this event, where you can programme a computer small enough to fit into your trouser pocket. It’s called micro:bit and is so easy to use that it’s instant fun.
Then you develop and test a programme to expertly park a toy car. Alternatively, programme your own code for the game “Rock, scissors, paper” and depict the three symbols with LED lights. Come and be surprised!
Provider: Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, external page mint & pepper
Check-In and Pick-up: H?nggerberg campus
In this exciting workshop, you will get to know the Morphs – friendly, curious little creatures that represent young artificial intelligences (AIs).
Together with you as their trainer, they have to solve tricky tasks and prove that they are smart, reliable and trustworthy. Through play, you will discover how AI thinks, what an algorithm is and how machines learn.
You will become an AI expert yourself – without any prior knowledge, but with lots of fun and team spirit!
Provider: external page mint & pepper
Check-In and Pick-up: H?nggerberg campus
How do epidemiologists hunt down dangerous germs?
We use real data to show you how experts track and stop disease outbreaks.
With the help of mathematics and computer programmes, you will create a family tree of viruses, plan health protection measures and select the best vaccine.
Provider: D-BSSE
Check-In and Pick-Up: BSS building, Basel
With a microscope, you can discover a world that is far too small for the eye to see – even smaller than what you can see with a magnifying glass! To help us see tiny organisms such as bacteria or cells more clearly, we sometimes stain them or make them glow with special light. This is called fluorescence – and you'll be amazed at how colourful some things suddenly look, such as tiny insects or the life in a drop of water or saliva!
But that's not all: you can also try out the technology for yourself!
Test a real robot arm and find out who is faster and more accurate – you or the machine? Sort colours like a pro and experience how much fun technology can be when you take control yourself.
Provider: D-BSSE
Check-In and Pick-Up: BSS building, Basel
What do you, your pet, a flower and even tiny water fleas have in common? That's right – all living things have DNA! But what exactly is it? Today, you will explore the fascinating molecule that controls all life.
In this exciting workshop, you will become a researcher yourself! Using simple methods, we will extract DNA from your own cells.
At the end, you will receive your very own DNA souvenir: a cool necklace with your own DNA that you can proudly take home with you. A real piece of science to wear around your neck!
Provider: D-BSSE
Check-In and Pick-Up: BSS building, Basel
Did you know that some living things can glow in the dark?
In this exciting programme, we will get to the bottom of the mystery of fluorescence! It's like a magic trick of nature, where certain substances glow brightly in the dark when light is shone on them.
First, we open bacteria with ultrasound waves and extract the glowing material. Then we look at glowing organisms under the microscope. And finally, we make cool art with glowing bacteria!
Provider: D-BSSE
Check-In and Pick-Up: BSS building, Basel
Since DNA is unique to every living organism, researchers can often only obtain tiny amounts of the DNA they want to study from a sample. These amounts are usually too small to be useful. That is why scientists use PCR to create enough copies of the DNA so that they can experiment with it. For this reason, PCR is one of the most commonly used techniques in genetics laboratories around the world. It is useful in many experiments, for example in gene therapy, infectious diseases and even forensics.
In this workshop, you will become a DNA detective yourself and learn how to use PCR to uncover secret clues – just like real researchers in the laboratory!
Provider: D-BSSE
Check-In and Pick-Up: BSS building, Basel
Registration is now closed. Acceptance and rejection notifications have been sent out.
We do not accept registrations by e-mail and will not enter into correspondence regarding the draw.
Please note: Please only register your child for one programme. Multiple registrations will result in exclusion from the draw.
Important information
Children must be collected from the event by an adult. If that’s not possible, the child must bring along a custody release form to the event.
School children attend the events organised by ETH Zurich at their own risk. They must follow the instructions of ETH Zurich’s responsible group leaders at all times. Parents are responsible for arranging insurance cover for the event and are liable for their children.
Children should wear suitable clothing for the autumnal weather, as they will be outside for some of the time.
