ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich; German: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich) is a public research university in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. Founded by the Swiss Federal Government in 1854 with the stated mission to educate engineers and scientists, the school focuses exclusively on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.[4] Like its sister institution EPFL, it is part of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain (ETH Domain), part of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.[5]

"ETH" redirects here. For other uses, see ETH (disambiguation).

ETH Zurich
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich
Other name
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, German: Polytechnikum (colloquially)
Former name
eidgenössische polytechnische Schule[1]
TypePublic
Established1855 (1855)
BudgetCHF 1.897 billion (2019)
PresidentJoël Mesot
RectorSarah M. Springman
Academic staff
6,455 (530 professors of all ranks) (full-time equivalents 2017, 29.5% female, 70.2% foreign nationals)[2]
Administrative staff
2,658 (full-time equivalents 2017, 42.5% female, 24.4% foreign nationals)[2]
Students22,200 (headcount 2017, 31.8% female, 38.7% foreign nationals)[2]
Undergraduates9,262[2]
Postgraduates6,158[2]
4,170[2]
Other students
1,095[2]
Address
Rämistrasse 101
CH-8092 Zürich
Switzerland
,
Zurich

47°22′35″N 8°32′53″E
CampusUrban
LanguageGerman, English (Masters and upwards, sometimes Bachelor)
Colors  Black,   White[3]
AffiliationsCESAER, EUA, GlobalTech, IARU, IDEA League
Websitewww.ethz.ch
ETH Zurich
Location: ETH Zurich, Switzerland

The university is an attractive destination for international students thanks to low tuition fees of 809 CHF per semester,[6] PhD and graduate salaries that are amongst the world's highest,[7] and a world-class reputation in academia and industry. There are currently 22,200 students from over 120 countries, of which 4,180 are pursuing doctoral degrees.[8] In the 2021 edition of the QS World University Rankings ETH Zurich is ranked 6th in the world and 8th by the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2020.[9][10] In the 2020 QS World University Rankings by subject it is ranked 4th in the world for engineering and technology (2nd in Europe) and 1st for earth & marine science.[11][12]

As of November 2019, 21 Nobel laureates, 2 Fields Medalists, 2 Pritzker Prize winners, and 1 Turing Award winner have been affiliated with the Institute, including Albert Einstein. Other notable alumni include John von Neumann and Santiago Calatrava[13] It is a founding member of the IDEA League and the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) and a member of the CESAER network.

History
Polytechnikum in 1865
Main building and surrounding campus.

ETH Zurich was founded on 7 February 1854 by the Swiss Confederation and began giving its first lectures on 16 October 1855 as a polytechnic institute (eidgenössische polytechnische Schule) at various sites throughout the city of Zurich.[1] It was initially composed of six faculties: architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, forestry, and an integrated department for the fields of mathematics, natural sciences, literature, and social and political sciences.

It is locally still known as Polytechnikum, or simply as Poly, derived from the original name eidgenössische polytechnische Schule,[14] which translates to "federal polytechnic school".

ETH Zurich is a federal institute (i.e., under direct administration by the Swiss government), whereas the University of Zurich is a cantonal institution. The decision for a new federal university was heavily disputed at the time; the liberals pressed for a "federal university", while the conservative forces wanted all universities to remain under cantonal control, worried that the liberals would gain more political power than they already had.[15] In the beginning, both universities were co-located in the buildings of the University of Zurich.

From 1905 to 1908, under the presidency of Jérôme Franel, the course program of ETH Zurich was restructured to that of a real university and ETH Zurich was granted the right to award doctorates. In 1909 the first doctorates were awarded. In 1911, it was given its current name, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule. In 1924, another reorganization structured the university in 12 departments. However, it now has 16 departments.

Interior skylights in the main building

ETH Zurich, the EPFL, and four associated research institutes form the "ETH Domain" with the aim of collaborating on scientific projects.[16]

Reputation and ranking
University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World[17]20 (2020)
QS World[18]6 (2021)
THE World[19]14 (2021)
USNWR Global[20]26 (2020)

ETH Zurich is ranked among the top universities in the world. Typically, popular rankings place the institution as the best university in continental Europe and ETH Zurich is consistently ranked among the top 1-5 universities in Europe, and among the top 3-10 best universities of the world.

Historically, ETH Zurich has achieved its reputation particularly in the fields of chemistry, mathematics and physics. There are 32 Nobel laureates who are associated with ETH Zurich, the most recent of whom is Richard F. Heck, awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2010. Albert Einstein is perhaps its most famous alumnus.[21]

In 2018, the QS World University Rankings placed ETH Zurich at 7th overall in the world.[22] In 2015, ETH Zurich was ranked 5th in the world in Engineering, Science and Technology, just behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Cambridge University. In 2015, ETH Zurich also ranked 6th in the world in Natural Sciences, and in 2016 ranked 1st in the world for Earth & Marine Sciences for the second consecutive year.[23]

In 2016, Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked ETH Zurich 9th overall in the world and 8th in the world in the field of Engineering & Technology, just behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Cambridge University, Imperial College London and Oxford University.[24]

In a comparison of Swiss universities by swissUP Ranking and in rankings published by CHE comparing the universities of German-speaking countries, ETH Zurich traditionally is ranked first in natural sciences, computer science and engineering sciences.

In the survey "CHE ExcellenceRanking" on the quality of Western European graduate school programs in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, ETH Zurich was assessed as one of the three institutions to have excellent programs in all the considered fields, the other two being Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge, respectively. ETH Zurich had a total budget of CHF 1,897 billion CHF[25] in the year 2019.

Admission and education
Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) Domain
2019 budget (millions of CHF)
ETH Domain2616
Federal institutes of technology
1298
  • EPFL
 686
Federal research institutes
321
124
54
59
Students and locals in ETH Zurich front courtyard

For Swiss students, ETH Zurich is not selective in its undergraduate admission procedures. Like every public university in Switzerland, ETH Zurich is obliged to grant admission to every Swiss resident who took the Matura.[26] Applicants from foreign countries are required to take either the reduced entrance exam or the comprehensive entrance exam although some applicants from several European countries are exempted from this rule. An applicant can be admitted to ETH Zurich even without any verifiable educational records by passing the comprehensive entrance exam.[27]

As at all universities in Switzerland, the academic year is divided into two semesters. Examinations are often held during examination sessions which are immediately before the beginning of the next semester (only a few select courses offer an exam immediately after the semester ends). After the first year of study, bachelor students must pass a block examination of all courses taken in the first year, called the Basisprüfung (basis examination). If the weighted average score is not sufficient, a student is required to retake the entire Basisprüfung which usually means having to re-sit the whole first year. The structure of examinations in higher academic years is similar to the Basisprüfung, but with a higher success rate. The regular time to reach graduation is six semesters for the Bachelor of Science degree and three or four further semesters for the Master of Science degree. The final semester is dedicated to writing a thesis.

Education at ETH Zurich generally focuses more on theoretical aspects than application and most degree programs contain a high amount of mathematical training. The main language of instruction in undergraduate (Bachelor) studies is German and for admission a proof of sufficient knowledge of the German language is required for Bachelor students.[28] Most Master's programs and doctoral studies are in English.

Campus
ETH Hönggerberg with the new HIT building

ETH Zurich has two campuses. The main building was constructed 1858–1864 outside and right above the eastern border of the town, but nowadays it is located right in the heart of the city. As the town and university grew, ETH Zurich spread into the surrounding vineyards and later quarters. As a result, the Zentrum campus consists of various buildings and institutions throughout Zürich and firmly integrates the ETH Zurich in the city. The main building stands directly across the street from the University Hospital of Zurich and the University of Zurich.

Because this geographic situation substantially hindered the expansion of ETH Zurich, a new campus was built from 1964 to 1976 on the Hönggerberg on a northern hill in the outskirts of the city. The last major expansion project of this new campus was completed in 2003; since then, the Hönggerberg location houses the departments of architecture, civil engineering, biology, chemistry, materials science and physics.

Main building
Main building as seen from Polyterrasse

The main building of ETH Zurich was built from 1858 to 1864 under Gustav Zeuner; the architect, however, was Gottfried Semper, who was a professor of architecture at ETH Zurich at the time and one of the most important architectural writers and theorists of the age. Semper worked in a neoclassical style that was unique to him; and the namesake and architect of the Semperoper in Dresden. It emphasized bold and clear massings with a detailing, such as the rusticated ground level and giant order above, that derived in part from the work of Andrea Palladio and Donato Bramante. During the construction of the University of Zürich, the south wing of the building was allocated to the University until its own new main building was constructed (1912–1914). At about the same time, Semper's ETH Zurich building was enlarged and received its impressive cupola. The university's engineering and computer science departments are located around here.

Aerial picture of the Hönggerberg campus. The rest of the city of Zurich, where the main campus is, and the Alps can be seen in the background.

Hönggerberg campus

In the year of ETH Zurich's 150th anniversary, an extensive project called "Science City" for the Hönggerberg Campus was started with the goal to transform the campus into an attractive district based on the principle of sustainability. The university's science departments are located around here.

An ASVZ sports center which is accessible to all students and faculty, and includes a gym, beach volleyball court, football field, and martial-art rooms.[29][30]

The ETH link is a free bus for students, affiliates and faculty linking the two campuses. During the school week, the bus runs 3 times an hour, and takes around 15 minutes. In 2020 a new, fully electric, ETH eLink was introduced.[31][32]

Bike share

Since 2018, an electric bike sharing system between the two campuses is also available, with yearly subscriptions subsidised by the university. There are rental stations on both campuses.[33]

ETH Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics

The ETH Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics (LIB) is a physics laboratory located in Science City. It specializes in accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and the use of ion beam based techniques with applications in archeology, earth sciences, life sciences, material sciences and fundamental physics. An example of such application is the tracing of isotopes and the detection of rare radionuclides with radiocarbon dating and the use of techniques such as Rutherford backscattering spectrometry or elastic recoil detection.[34] The LIB is developing the next generation of AMS machines. It is also a laboratory available for users interested in applying the techniques of ion beam analysis.[35]

Student life

ETH Zurich students were found to be the busiest students of all institutions of higher education in Switzerland.[36] The undergraduates' tight curriculum consists of as much as twice the number of lectures as comparable courses of other Swiss universities.

Tuition and financial assistance

Being a public university, the tuition fees are CHF730 per semester, regardless of the student's nationality.[37] Both merit and need based scholarships are also available. The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) is a merit scholarship program for master students with excellent grades in their undergraduate program.

Student associations

ETH Zurich has well over 100 student associations. Most notable is the VSETH (Verband der Studierenden an der ETH) which comprises all department associations. The associations regularly organize events with varying size and popularity. Events of the neighboring University of Zürich are well-attended by ETH Zurich students and vice versa. The VSETH organizes events of greater public attention, such as the Polyball, the Polyparty (does not exist any more) and the Erstsemestrigenfest, the first two housed in the main building of ETH Zurich. Sometimes, the annual Erstsemestrigenfest takes place at extraordinary locations, for example the Zurich Airport. All freshmen enjoy special treatment at that event.

Some of the notable associations that are not affiliated with a specific department are the ETH Entrepreneur Club and ETH Model United Nations. Both enjoy high international standings, and are regularly awarded for excellence in their respective fields. ETH Juniors is another student organization. It forms a bridge between industry and ETH Zurich and offers many services for students and companies alike.[38]

Sports

The Academic Sports Association of Zürich (ASVZ) offers more than 120 sports.[39] The biggest annual sports event is the SOLA-Stafette (SOLA relay race) which consists of 14 sections over a total distance of 140 kilometers. More than 760 teams participated in the 2009 edition.[40] The 40th edition of the SOLA, held on 4 May 2013, had 900 enrolled teams, of which 893 started and 876 were classified.[41] In 2014 ASVZ celebrated their 75th anniversary.[42]

Innovation

Student Project House

In 2017, ETH Zurich board approved the creation of a 'Student Project House' to encourage student projects and foster innovation. A test consisting of a 'makerspace' and co-working space was established on the Hönggerberg campus.[43][44] The ETH Zurich board approved the creation of a 6-story student project house space near the ETH Zurich main building, currently scheduled to open in May 2021. A new space is expected to open on Hönggerberg campus in 2024.[45]

Spin-offs

As of 2020, 432 ETH Zurich spin-off companies have been created.[46]

Competition Team

ETH Zurich has three prominent Competition teams that perform research in different popular fields and compete on the world stage. Most of these teams are based in the Swiss Innovation Park near Dübendorf.[47]

ARIS

The Swiss Academic Spaceflight Initiative[48] (German: Akademische Raumfahrt Initiative Schweiz) is an organisation at ETH Zurich that focuses on the development of space related technologies. The most prominent area of research is in the development of a sounding rocket that is flown yearly at the Spaceport America Cup. ARIS also dedicates its resources to the academic advancement of spaceflight and hosts projects ranging from the development of Hybrid rocket Engines to Payload research.

Achievements
  • In 2018, ARIS won the Jim Furfaro Award for Technical Excellence[49]
  • ARIS won 2nd place at the Spaceport America Cup 2019 in the 10'000ft COTS Engine challenge. [50]

AMZ

The Academic Motorsports Association[51] (German: Akademischer Motorfahrt Verein) is the ETH Zurich's equivalent of a Formula One team, that develops electric and driverless sports vehicles that compete at Formula_Student.

Achievements
  • In 2013 AMZ won the Formula Student Class 1 as well as the Dynamic Events, Endurance Event and Static Events.
  • In 2016 AMZ won the Formula Student Static Events.

Swissloop

Swissloop is the ETH Zurich's newest competition team that is working on the development of a Hyperloop system.

Traditions

The annual Polyball is the most prestigious public event at ETH Zurich, with a long tradition since the 1880s. At the end of November, the Polyball welcomes around 10,000 dancers, music-lovers and partygoers in the extensively decorated main building of ETH Zurich. This is the biggest decorated ball in Europe.

The amicable rivalry between ETH Zurich and its neighbor, the University of Zürich, has been cultivated since 1951 (Uni-Poly). There has been an annual rowing match between teams from the two institutions on the river Limmat.

There are many regular symposia and conferences at ETH Zurich, most notably the annual Wolfgang Pauli Lectures, in honor of former ETH Zurich Professor Wolfgang Pauli. Distinct lecturers, among them 24 Nobel laureates, have held lectures of the various fields of natural sciences at this conference since 1962.

Notable alumni and faculty
Main article: List of ETH Zurich people
Albert Einstein, 1921
John von Neumann, graduated in chemical engineering, ETH Zurich 1925[52]

The names listed below are taken from the official record compiled by ETH Zurich. It includes only graduates of ETH Zurich and professors who have been awarded the Nobel Prize for their achievements at ETH Zurich.[53]

Nobel Prize in Physics

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Nobel Prize in Medicine

Other Nobel laureates directly affiliated with ETH Zurich

Rectors of ETH Zurich

Presidents of ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich has produced and attracted many famous scientists in its short history, including Albert Einstein. More than twenty Nobel laureates have either studied at ETH Zurich or were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work achieved at ETH Zurich. Other alumni include scientists who were distinguished with the highest accolades such as the Fields Medal, Pritzker Prize and Turing Award, among other distinctions in their respective fields. Academic achievements aside, ETH Zurich has been alma mater to many Olympic medalists and world champions.

Collegium Helveticum

The Collegium Helveticum is an Institute for Advanced Study.[54] It is jointly supported and operated by the ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and the Zurich University of the Arts. It is dedicated to transdisciplinary research and acts as a think tank as well. Fellows are elected for five years to work together on a particular subject. For the period 2016–2020, the research focus is on digital societies.[55]

ETH Zurich Foundation

The ETH Zurich Foundation is a legal entity on its own (a Swiss non-profit foundation) and as such not part of the ETH Zurich. Its purpose is to raise funds to support chosen institutes, projects, faculty and students at the ETH Zurich. It receives charitable donations from companies, foundations and private individuals. It can be compared with university endowments in the USA. However, the ETH Zurich is a public university so that the funds of this foundation are much smaller than at comparable private universities.[56] Examples of funded teaching and research are:[57]

  • New institutes such as the Wyss Translational Center Zurich[58]
  • Additional professorships
  • Rössler Prize[59]
  • Pioneer fellowships
  • Excellence scholarships[60]

Military Academy

The Military Academy is an institution for the education, training and development of career officers of the Swiss Armed Forces. The scientific part of this organization is attached to the ETH Zurich, while other parts such as training and an assessment center are under the direct management of the defense sector of the Swiss Federal Government.[61]

Swiss National Supercomputing Center

The Swiss National Supercomputing Center is an autonomous organizational unit of the ETH Zurich. It is a national facility based in Lugano-Cornaredo,[62] offering high-performance computing services for Swiss-based scientists.[63]

  • ETH Zurich at twilight
  • HPT Tree in Winter
  • Hönggerberg
  • ETH–Universitätsspital tram stop

See also

Notes and references
  1. "1848–1855: The polytechnical realisation of a long-held dream". ETH Zürich. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  2. "Annual Report 2017". Zurich, Switzerland: ETH Zurich. May 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  3. "Colour". Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  4. "Bericht über den Entwurf zu einem Reglemente für die Eidgenössische polytechnische Schule" (PDF). Schweizerisches Bundesblatt. Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal Council. 6 (39, Bd. 3): 163–182. 21 June 1854 – via ethistory.ethz.ch.
  5. "ETH Board - Governance ETH Domain". eth-rat.ch. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  6. https://ethz.ch/en/studies/financial/tuition-fees.html
  7. https://www.willistowerswatson.com/en-CH/News/2019/01/swiss-employees-remain-at-number-one-in-the-top-20-european-pay-rankings
  8. https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/portrait.html
  9. "QS World University Rankings 2021". Top Universities. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  10. "World University Rankings 2020 by subject: engineering and technology". Times Higher Education (THE). 4 October 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  11. "Engineering and Technology". Top Universities. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  12. "Earth & Marine Sciences". Top Universities. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  13. "Portrait". ethz.ch. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  14. "ETHistory 1855-2005". ETHistory. ETH Zurich. 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  15. "1848-1855: Polytechnical realization of an old dream". ETHistory. ETH Zurich. 31 March 2005. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  16. "ETH Domain". Zurich and Berne, Switzerland: ETH Board. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  17. "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019". ShanghaiRanking. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  18. "QS World University Rankings 2020". Top Universities. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  19. "World University Rankings 2020 - ETH Zurich". Times Higher Education (THE). Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  20. "U.S. News Education: Best Global Universities 2019 - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich". Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  21. "ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879 – 1955)". Zuerich.
  22. "QS World University Rankings". Top Universities. QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  23. "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016 - Earth & Marine Sciences". Top Universities. QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  24. "ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  25. https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/information-material/annual-report.html
  26. "Admission to the first semester with a Swiss matriculation certificate ("Matura")". ETH Zurich. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  27. "Admission to first semester without Swiss matriculation certificate". ETH Zurich. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  28. "Language requirements". ETH Zurich. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  29. "Deutsche BauZeitschrift". www.dbz.de (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  30. "Vereinigung der Schweizerischen Hochschuldozierenden, Bulletin" (PDF).
  31. "Mercedes to deliver three eCitaro G to Switzerland". electrive.com. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  32. "Dieser Gelenkbus muss aufladen". www.lokalinfo.ch. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  33. "Website zeigt alle verfügbaren Leihvelos und E-Trottis an". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). ISSN 1422-9994. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  34. "The world of Ion Beam Physics". overview. ETH Zurich. September 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  35. "Laboratory for Ion Physics". ETH Zurich, Department of Physics. September 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  36. "Willkommen auf Students.ch" (in German)
  37. Zurich, ETH. "ETH Zurich tuition fees". ethz.ch. ETH Zurich. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  38. "ETH Juniors". Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  39. "Academic Sports Association Zurich". Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  40. SOLA-Stafette 2009
  41. SOLA - Erfolgreiche Jubiläumsstafette
  42. "ASVZ". Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  43. https://sph.ethz.ch/
  44. https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/education/sph.html
  45. https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2020/10/a-place-for-students-to-develop-their-ideas.html
  46. https://ethz.ch/en/industry/entrepreneurs/entrepreneurship/press-release.html
  47. "Competition Teams From ETH Zurich at the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich". Switzerland Innovation. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  48. "ARIS – ARIS Space and Rocket projects in Switzerland". Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  49. ""SA Cup 2018"".
  50. ""Sounding Rocket SA Cup 2019"".
  51. "AMZ Racing". www.amzracing.ch. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  52. Ed Regis (8 November 1992). "Johnny Jiggles the Planet". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  53. "Die ETH Zürich". Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  54. Collegium Helveticum. eurias Network of French Institutes for Advanced Study. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  55. Website Collegium Helveticum. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  56. René Donzé: ETH sucht Sponsoren in Deutschland. Neue Zürcher Zeitung am Sonntag, 7 April 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  57. Website ETH Foundation. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  58. ETH Zurich and University of Zurich launch Wyss Translational Center. ETH Zurich, 12 December 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  59. Rössler Prize. ETH Zurich Foundation. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  60. Ruf Lanz: Albert Einstein wirbt für Exzellenz-Stipendien. persoenlich.com, 19 november 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  61. Military Academy (MILAC). Website Military Academy, Swiss Armed Forces. Retrieved 4 August 2019
  62. "CSCS moves into new computer centre in Lugano". CSCS. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  63. Swiss National Supercomputing Center. Retrieved 4 August 2019

Further reading
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