At its meeting on 10-11 July 2024, the ETH Board approved a threefold increase in tuition fees for foreign Bachelor's and Master's degree students who move to Switzerland to study at ETH Zurich or EPFL. It is thus taking account of the clearly expressed positions and votes on this topic in Parliament.
The ETH Board appointed a total of two women and five men as professors and awarded the title of professor to two individuals and the title of Professor of Practice to one individual.
The ETH Board welcomes the European Commission's decision to extend the EU transitional regime for research.
The Federal Council reappointed ETH Board president Michael Hengartner, its vice president Pascale Bruderer and all current board members.
The Federal Council appointed Rolf Holderegger as the new director of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL). He will take up his new post on 1 October.
At its meeting on 22-23 May 2024, the ETH Board initiated a consultation with federal offices and an internal hearing within the ETH Domain on the proposed introduction of a limit on admissions for students with foreign educational qualifications at EPFL.
The ETH Board appointed a total of seven women and ten men as professors and awarded the title of professor to five individuals and the title of Professor of Practice to three individuals.
The Federal Council draft of the Dispatch on the promotion of education, research and innovation (ERI Dispatch) for the period 2025-2028 is strongly influenced by concerns about the overall state of government finances.
On 27 March, the Federal Council appointed Anna Fontcuberta i Morral as the new president of EPFL. The 49-year-old is a professor of materials science and engineering at EPFL in Lausanne. She will succeed Martin Vetterli on 1 January 2025.
At its meeting on 6–7 March, the ETH Board debated the budget cuts and their effects on the projects of the ETH Domain institutions. Several nationally significant research infrastructure projects and a number of strategic initiatives cannot be implemented.
At its meeting of 6/7 March 2024 and upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Joël Mesot, and the President of EPFL, Professor Martin Vetterli, the ETH Board appointed a total of seven women and seventeen men as professors and awarded the title of professor to six individuals and the title of Professor of Practice to one individual.
The institutions in the fields of education, research and innovation (ERI) welcome the implementation proposal for the involvement of scientific advisory bodies in crises, which the Federal Council has approved.
Their names are Marianne Liebi Adrian Wanner. Two young researchers who make the nanostructure of macroscopic samples, such as bones or brain tissue, visible in three dimensions using high-resolution images.
Empa researchers have developed novel materials made of carbon that exploit quantum effects to exhibit previously unattainable electronic and magnetic properties.
Professor of number theory Maryna Viazovska has solved a mathematical problem that has stumped researchers for centuries. This achievement brought her recognition with the Fields Medal, which is something like a “Nobel Prize for Mathematics”.
The institutions of the ETH Domain produce around 60 spin-offs each year. Among them, five are valued at over one billion dollars. Here is an introduction to these five “unicorns”.
The Swiss energy system is expected to be climate-neutral by 2050. The key to this is science: CO2 can be converted by electrolysis into raw materials for chemicals or synthetic fuels and the cost of a fossil-free energy system can be calculated using modelling.
Matthias Saurer is a physicist and heads the WSL isotope laboratory where complex measuring procedures are used to determine plants’ isotope ratios. These provide answers to questions about the nutrient and water balance in forests, for example, and provide important foundations for environmental and climate research.
Anna Kiesenhofer has a doctorate in mathematics and was doing research as a postdoc at EPFL on partial differential equations when she qualified for the cycling road race at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and won the gold medal in sensational fashion. She sees parallels between mathematics and cycling which were instrumental in her success.
Cyanobacteria are ancient organisms. The most varied types of shells without a core, which, at high density in warm waters, can secrete complex substances and also toxins. Some are toxic to both humans and animals. Elisabeth Janssen is on the trail of these natural toxins: applied research, the results of which can be incorporated into water protection or water management.
Quantum physics has a long tradition at ETH Zurich. Now it is further expanding its teaching and research activities. Around 150 students are completing the novel Master’s degree programme in Quantum Engineering, there is a “Quantum Center” and quantum computers are to be built in the ETHZ-PSI Quantum Computing Hub.
Failing to perform an experiment, considering the wrong hypothesis, having a paper rejected: failure is not only normal in science, it is also essential for cutting-edge research. What is the experience of researchers in the ETH Domain with this sensitive topic?
A pan-European initiative launched at the behest of the Swiss and British research communities calls for the two countries to be rapidly reintegrated into European science.
What are the institutions of the ETH Domain doing to reduce the CO2 emissions of their buildings? An overview shows: quite a lot, from anergy and waste heat to district heating and photovoltaics.
The ETH Board regularly recruits new employees. As an employer, we value diversity, commitment and professional development in a stimulating and challenging environment.
This page lists the decisions of the ETH Appeals Commission since December 1, 2023 by file number. Click here for older decisions. The decisions are only available in one language, either German or French.
Every four years, the ETH Domain undergoes an in-depth evaluation by a group of national and international experts on behalf of the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER).
The ETH Domain seeks to play a pioneering role in climate protection. The two Federal Institutes of Technology as well as the four research institutes have common goals in terms of environmental protection and, in providing their respective services, make the best possible use of the resources they require for their proper functioning.
The three Strategic Focus Areas defined for the ERI period 2021–2024 are Personalized Health and Related Technologies, Data Science, and Advanced Manufacturing. In the Strategic Plan 2025–2028, published in July 2022, the ETH Board defines five Strategic Areas.
Joint Initiatives are large-scale initiatives carried out jointly by the institutions of the ETH Domain and external partners. Their topic relates to one of the Strategic Areas defined by the ETH Board.
The ETH Board is currently working on the organisational development of the ETH Domain in order to make it fit for the future and identify its optimal organisation and structure. This should ensure that the ETH Domain is better equipped for the urgent challenges now facing it as well those that lie further ahead. The aim is to create a system in which the outstanding capacities of the ETH Domain’s research institutes can be harnessed to address the big societal challenges of our time, such as climate change, new energy sources, biodiversity, digital transformation and cybersecurity.
Every four years, half way through its funding period, the ETH Domain undergoes a thorough evaluation by a group of national and international experts mandated by the head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER). The ETH Board would like to thank the Expert Committee of the 2023 Intermediate Evaluation for its in-depth examination of the ETH Domain and its institutions. The examination of the current strengths and weaknesses as well as the productive exchange and stimulating discussions resulted in forward-looking recommendations that are both supportive and challenging. The implementation of these recommendations will support the ETH Domain’s development to the benefit of Switzerland’s education and research sector, economy and society. The ETH Board is pleased by the experts’ overall assessment of the exceptional quality of the ETH Domain institutions. The ETH Board is also satisfied that the experts have noted significant progress since the last Intermediate Evaluation in 2019 and is aware of the need to continue its constant reflection on how best to further improve the performance and the impact of the ETH Domain and to respond to upcoming challenges. In this Response to the Recommendations of the Expert Committee, the ETH Board addresses each of the recommendations and presents its considerations and ongoing activities with regard to the points raised by the experts. This is followed by “action lines” with which the ETH Board and the ETH Domain institutions intend to address the recommendations at a general, domain-wide level. More concrete measures are subsequently developed and implemented at the level of the individual institutions. The ETH Board believes that it is crucial for the ETH Domain institutions to maintain their ability to compete with the best institutions worldwide and to remain the flagship of the Swiss education, research and innovation (ERI) sector. Through their excellence in teaching, research and knowledge and technology transfer (KTT), the institutions of the ETH Domain enhance the attractiveness of the Swiss ERI sector as well as the prosperity and competitiveness of Swiss society and the Swiss economy. In response to the Expert Committee’s report and recommendations, the ETH Board considers the following points in particular to be essential for the successful development of the ETH Domain: The institutions of the ETH Domain give the highest priority to research-based teaching. They continue to take the necessary action to maintain and improve the quality of education in the long term and in the context of a growing student population – an important contribution to help counteract the shortage of experts in Switzerland. They pay particular attention to assessing the relevance of educational programmes in light of the present and future demands of the economy, industry, research and the public sector.The institutions of the ETH Domain continue to perform research at the highest level and contribute to anticipating and resolving the most pressing local, national and global challenges. Attracting and retaining the best talent is a major condition for ensuring excellence. Another key factor in the ETH Domain’s international attractiveness are Switzerland's first-class research infrastructures. The institutions of the ETH Domain further strengthen their leading role in conceptualising, developing, operating and upgrading large-scale research infrastructures and platforms.The institutions of the ETH Domain actively contribute to Switzerland’s innovative capacity by further strengthening their key role in knowledge and technology transfer for the benefit of the economy and industry (young companies as well as SMEs and established companies), the public sector and society. They continuously develop their KTT instruments to enable simple and straightforward processes.The ETH Board and the institutions of the ETH Domain are engaged in a future-oriented discussion on the mission of the ETH Domain and, building on this, on the question of strategic orientation and the optimal structure as one of their central tasks and responsibilities. They evaluate various options on how to best position and organise the ETH Domain to meet future needs.The institutions of the ETH Domain further strengthen an inclusive and respectful culture and working and studying environment, recognising that inclusion is key to realising the full potential of diversity. They build on existing policies to develop and implement a corresponding strategy.The institutions of the ETH Domain contribute to the translation of research into concrete solutions and policies in order to respond promptly to urgent challenges by intensifying the dialogue between academic actors, public authorities and society. They play a leading role in the development and implementation of the strategies to improve the involvement of the scientific community in future crisis situations. In order to address the above aspects, the corresponding political and financial framework conditions are indispensable. The Expert Committee mentions the following points, which the ETH Board would like to underline: International openness: To compete at the highest international level, to attract the best talent and to maintain excellence, international openness and multilateral scientific collaborations are essential. Switzerland's full association with the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Euratom Research and Training Programme and ITER is of utmost importance for the ETH Domain.Stable and reliable funding: Only with sufficient financial resources can the ETH Domain continue to fulfil its flagship role for the Swiss ERI sector and – in a context of growth in student numbers – maintain the quality of education and meet the demands of economy, industry and the public sector for highly qualified personnel.
With its two Federal Institutes of Technology and four research institutions, the ETH Domain contributes to Switzerland’s prosperity and ensures the country’s place among the major scientific nations. The inadequate financial resources allocated by the Confederation for the period 2025-2028 jeopardise this model for success.
The ETH Board consists of a President and ten other members, all of whom are elected by the Federal Council. As a college, it has the necessary political, scientific, economic, managerial and legal competencies to ensure the sustainable development of the ETH Domain.
The main goals of this measure are the standardization, federation, or mutualization of existing services and infrastructure across the ETH Domain. It also aims to improve interoperability of existing services and fil gaps, considering the full data lifecycle: data (1) planning, (2) acquisition, (3) processing and analysis, (4) publication and re-use, (5) long-term preservation, (6) disposal. As a starting point, a survey of existing ORD services and infrastructure was conducted. Please see here the result of the landscape analysis.
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