 | |
Other name
| Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, German: Polytechnikum (colloquially) |
|---|---|
Former name
| eidgenössische polytechnische Schule |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1855 |
| Budget | CHF 1.885 billion (2017) |
| President | Joël Mesot |
| Rector | Sarah M. Springman |
Academic staff
| 6,455 (full-time equivalents 2017, 29.5% female, 70.2% foreign nationals) |
Administrative staff
| 2,658 (full-time equivalents 2017, 42.5% female, 24.4% foreign nationals) |
| Students | 20,607 (headcount 2017, 31.8% female, 38.7% foreign nationals) |
| Undergraduates | 9,262 |
| Postgraduates | 6,158 |
| 4,092 | |
Other students
| 1,095 |
| Address |
Rämistrasse 101
, CH-8092 Zürich Switzerland
Zurich
47°22′35″N 8°32′53″ECoordinates: 47°22′35″N 8°32′53″E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Language | German, English (Masters and upwards, sometimes Bachelor) |
| Colors | Blue and White |
| Affiliations | CESAER, EUA, GlobalTech, IARU, IDEA League |
| Website | www.ethz.ch |
Location: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich; German: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich) is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics university in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. Like its sister institution EPFL, it is an integral part of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain (ETH Domain) that is directly subordinate to Switzerland's Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government
in 1854 with the stated mission to educate engineers and scientists,
serve as a national center of excellence in science and technology and
provide a hub for interaction between the scientific community and industry.
In the 2019 edition of the QS World University Rankings ETH Zurich is ranked 7th in the world (3rd in Europe after Oxbridge), and is also ranked 10th in the world by the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2018 (4th in Europe after Oxbridge and Imperial College London). In the 2019 QS World University Rankings
by subject it is ranked 3rd in the world for engineering and technology
(1st in Europe), and 1st for Earth & Marine Science.
As of August 2018, 32 Nobel laureates, 4 Fields Medalists, and 1 Turing Award winner have been affiliated with the Institute, including Albert Einstein.
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
ETH Zürich Zentrum
ETH 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. 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, which translates to "federal polytechnic school".
ETH is a federal institute (i.e., under direct administration by the Swiss government), whereas the University of Zürich 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. In the beginning, both universities were co-located in the buildings of the University of Zürich.
From 1905 to 1908, under the presidency of Jérôme Franel,
the course program of ETH was restructured to that of a real university
and ETH 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.
Reputation and ranking
| University rankings | |
|---|---|
| Global | |
| ARWU World | 19 |
| THE World | 10 |
| QS World | 7 |
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. The most recent Nobel Laureate is Richard F. Heck who was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2010. Albert Einstein is perhaps its most famous alumnus.
In 2018, the QS World University Rankings placed ETH Zurich at 7th overall in the world. In 2015, ETH was ranked 5th in the world in Engineering, Science and Technology, just behind the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Cambridge University and National University of Singapore.
In 2015, ETH 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.
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.
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 programmes in the
fields biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, ETH was assessed as
one of the three institutions to have excellent graduate programmes in
all considered fields, the other two being the Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge. ETH Zurich had a total budget of 1.885 billion CHF in the year 2017.
Admission and education
Students and locals in ETH front courtyard
For Swiss students, ETH is not selective in its undergraduate
admission procedures. Like every public university in Switzerland, ETH
is obliged to grant admission to every Swiss resident who took the Matura. 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 even without any
verifiable educational records by passing the comprehensive entrance exam.
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. 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. About 50% of the students fail the Basisprüfung on the first try and many of them choose to drop out of the course instead of repeating the Basisprüfung.
The structure of examinations in higher academic years is similar to the Basisprüfung (Basis examination), 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. Most Master's programmes 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, the ETH 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 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, 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
ETH Zurich at night.
The main building of ETH was built from 1858 to 1864 under Gustav Zeuner; the architect, however, was Gottfried Semper,
who was a professor of architecture at ETH 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 building was enlarged and received its impressive cupola.
Science City
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.
ETH Hönggerberg from the south, looking at the five "fingers" of the HCI and behind the high HPP building.
In September 2014 a new project to connect Science City by train was published.
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.
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.
Student life
ETH students were found to be the busiest students of all institutions of higher education in Switzerland.
The undergraduates' tight curriculum consists of as much as twice the
number of lectures as comparable courses of other Swiss universities.
ETH 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 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. Sometimes, the annual Erstsemestrigenfest takes place at extraordinary locations, for example the Zürich 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 organisations enjoy high international standings and are
regularly awarded for excellence in their field.
ETH Juniors is another student run organisation. It forms a bridge
between the industry and ETH and offers many services for students and
companies alike.
The Academic Sports Association of Zürich (ASVZ) offers more than 120 sports. 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. The 40th edition of the SOLA, held on May 4, 2013, had 900 enrolled teams, of which 893 started and 876 were classified. In 2014 ASVZ celebrated their 75th anniversary.
Traditions
The annual Polyball is the most prestigious public event at ETH, with a long tradition since the 1880s. The end of November, the Polyball welcomes around 10,000 dancers, music-lovers and partygoers in the extensively decorated main building of ETH. The Polyball is the biggest decorated ball in Europe.
The amicable rivalry between ETH and the neighbouring 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, most notably the annual Wolfgang Pauli Lectures, in honor of former ETH 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
Albert Einstein, 1921
John von Neumann, graduated in chemical engineering, ETH Zurich 1925.
The names listed below are taken from the official record compiled by
the ETH. It includes only graduates of the ETH and professors who have
been awarded the Nobel Prize for their achievements at ETH.
Nobel Prize in Physics
- 1901 Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (graduate)
- 1920 Charles-Edouard Guillaume (graduate)
- 1921 Albert Einstein (student and professor)
- 1943 Otto Stern (lecturer)
- 1945 Wolfgang Pauli (professor)
- 1952 Felix Bloch (graduate)
- 1986 Heinrich Rohrer (graduate)
- 1987 Georg Bednorz (graduate)
- 1987 Karl Alexander Müller (graduate)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- 1913 Alfred Werner (graduate)
- 1915 Richard Martin Willstätter (professor)
- 1918 Fritz Haber (attended for one semester)
- 1936 Peter Debye (professor)
- 1938 Richard Kuhn (professor)
- 1939 Leopold Ružička (professor)
- 1953 Hermann Staudinger (lecturer)
- 1975 Vladimir Prelog (professor)
- 1991 Richard Ernst (graduate and professor)
- 2002 Kurt Wüthrich (professor)
- 2010 Richard F. Heck (postdoctoral student)
Nobel Prize in Medicine
- 1950 Tadeus Reichstein (graduate)
- 1978 Werner Arber (graduate)
Other Nobel Laureates directly affiliated with the ETH
- 1912 Nils Gustaf Dalén (in collaboration with Aurel Stodola)
- 1943 George de Hevesy
- 1945 Artturi Ilmari Virtanen (in collaboration with Georg Wiegner)
- 1954 Max Born (in collaboration with Adolf Hurwitz)
- 1964 Konrad E. Bloch (in collaboration with Leopold Ružička and Vladimir Prelog)
- 1968 Lars Onsager (in collaboration with Peter Debye and Erich Hückel)
- 1968 Har Gobind Khorana (in collaboration with Vladimir Prelog)
- 1969 Max Delbrück (in collaboration with Wolfgang Pauli)
- 1987 Jean-Marie Lehn
ETH Rectors
- Sarah Springman 1 January 2015
- Lino Guzzella 2013 – 31 December 2014
- Heidi Wunderli-Allenspach September 2007 - August 2013
- Konrad Osterwalder 1995 - September 2007
- Albin Herzog 1895-1899
ETH Presidents
- Joël Mesot January 2019
- Lino Guzzella January 2015 - December 2018
- Ralph Eichler September 2007 – December 2014
- Konrad Osterwalder President Pro Tempore November 2006 – September 2007
- Ernst Hafen December 2005 – November 2006
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 or were awarded the Nobel Prize
for their work achieved at ETH. Other alumni include scientists who
were distinguished with the highest honours in their respective fields,
amongst them Fields Medal, Pritzker Prize and Turing Award winners. Academic achievements aside, ETH has been Alma Mater to many Olympic Medalists and world champions.
