News & Events
2024 GAIA Masters Student Paper Award Winner Marion Meyers
We are thrilled to congratulate Marion Meyers, a 2023 ISTP MSc graduate, for being selected as the winner of the 2024 GAIA Masters Student Paper Award for her thesis on machine learning and degrowth.
Critical Infrastructure Resilience in Ukraine: Energy, Transportation, and Communication
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the subsequent targeted attacks on critical infrastructure (CI) have put the country and its population under immense pressure. However, Russian interference with Ukrainian CI did not begin in 2022 but goes back at least as far as 2014 and the events surrounding the annexation of Crimea.
Bridging the Gap with Policy Fellow Regina Witter
The new ETH Policy Fellowship aims to foster greater understanding between government and the academic world. Regina Witter from the Federal Office for Spatial Development was among the first cohort to take part.
Lecture Series: Thinking Pluralisms # 5
"Human Rights, AI Models, and the Quest for Pluralism" by Prof. Dr. Iris Eisenberger on March 14, 2024 at 18:15 in RZ F 21.
Trend Analysis Civil Protection 2035 Uncertainties, Challenges and Opportunities
This report represents the third installment in a series focused on identifying and analyzing trends significant for civil protection in Switzerland. It provides insights into trends expected to significantly impact the nation's civil protection system within the next five to ten years. Initiated by the Federal Office of Civil Protection (FOCP), this report aims to enhance horizon scanning capabilities within civil protection, a field necessitating ongoing adaptation.
Internship Insights: Emerging Risk Management at SwissRe
Meet Andreas Felderer, a recent graduate of the STP MSc program. He began his studies in the Autumn 2020, minoring in Data and Computer Science. Before beginning his Master’s, he completed a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from the Technical University of Munich. He previously attended an add-on study program in technology management and did an internship with Munich Re in the R&D department focusing on natural language processing.
New appointments at ETH Zurich
At its meeting of 6 and 7 March 2024 and upon application of Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board appointed nine professors. The Board also awarded the title of "Professor" three times and the title of "Professor of Practice" once.
Welcome to Max Morel!
We are pleased to announce that Max Morel has joined NADEL as a Senior Lecturer, focusing on humanitarian aid and media for global sustainable development.
Knowledge Security at Stake
A free, open, and international research and education environment is essential to scientific progress. At the same time, geopolitical tensions pose new challenges to the science, technology, and innovation sector. In many Western countries, approaches to knowledge security are being developed to protect core scientific values and preserve national interests.
Strategic De-risking Beyond Chips
Through export controls and industrial policy packages, the global semiconductor industry has become an arena of technological competition in recent years. As states seek to “de-risk” critical supply chains further, they face difficult challenges in identifying national security risks from emerging dual-use technologies and making tradeoffs between economic and security considerations.
Dora Vargha at the Science Studies Colloquium
On Wednesday, March 20, Dora Vargha (Berlin) will give the talk "Social or Socialist? Ideas of Health, Society and Biomedicine Across the Iron Curtain" at the Science Studies Colloquium.
CLE Vlog with Prof. Christoph Engel (Max Planck Bonn) on German Constitutional Courts
In the new vlog of the ETH Zurich Center for Law & Economics, Prof. Christoph Engel (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods Bonn) and Prof. Stefan Bechtold (ETH Zurich) discuss Engel's recent study "The German Constitutional Court – Political, but not Partisan?".
Visiting Researcher from PIK
We welcome Darius Sultani as a visiting researcher at EPG/CFP for the month of March 2024.
New paper on future costs of direct air capture
Katrin Sievert has published a research paper proposing a new method for projecting the future costs of DAC technologies.
Cost of direct air carbon capture to remain higher than hoped
The cost of removing large quantities of CO2 from the air will fall in the medium term, but not as much as previously hoped. This is the conclusion reached by ETH researchers on the basis of new calculations. Efforts to reduce carbon emissions should therefore continue at pace, says the research team.
New Collaborative Grant from the Chan-Zuckerberg-Initiative
Together with Prof. Tatjana Kleele (ETHZ, D-BIOL), Gerhard Schratt received 200,000 USD to study the regulation of mitochondria, the power houses of our cells, by microRNAs in human neurons and the potential relevance for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimers. After the 18-month pilot phase, selected projects will be eligible for a four year follow-up funding (1.6 Mio USD total).
New SNF-SPARK Grant
SNF-SPARK grant (97’000 CHF) awarded for Jochen Winterer, Oberassistent in the Schratt lab, to investigate the role of experience-regulated miRNAs in parvalbumin positive interneurons. Results are expected to shed light onto mechanisms by which parvalbumin positive interneurons modulate the dynamics of neuronal assemblies.
David Zollikofer (CLE / ETH Zurich) wins AI Safety Prize
David Zollikofer, research assistant of Prof. Elliott Ash at the ETH Zurich Center for Law & Economics, and Ben Zimmerman from the University of Colorado Boulder have won the AI Safety Prize at the Swiss Cyber Security Days.
Matthias Leese at the Science Studies Colloquium
Next Wednesday, February 28, Matthias Leese, Assistant Professor for Technology and Governance at ISTP, will kick off the Science Studies Colloquium in the spring semester 2024. He will give the talk "De-scribing Crime: Making and Unmaking Documents in Police Work".
Switzerland and Bangladesh – Perspectives on a Complex Relationship
Join us on 7 March 2024 for a documentary film screening and panel discussion about Switzerland and Bangladesh.
Science Studies Colloquium – Spring Semester 2024
Starts on February 28, 2024
New Horizon Europe Project - InvigoratEU | Preparing Europe for its future
From January 1, 2024, InvigoratEU - a new Horizon Europe project coordinated by the EU-Chair at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) together with the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) in Berlin - will examine how the EU can structure its future relations with its eastern neighbours and the countries of the Western Balkans.
Public Lecture: "In a Mirror, Darkly: Delegation, Democracy, and the Second Enlightenment"
by Sheila Jasanoff on Friday, March 15, 2024
Prof. Dr. Vally Koubi Interim Director of Studies of the MACIS Programme
Vally Koubi is Professor (Titular) and Senior Scientist at the Center for Comparative and International Studies (CIS) at the ETH Zurich and Professor at the Institute of Economics at the University of Bern, Switzerland. She was formerly the Director of CIS from 2020 - 2022. She will take over as interim Director of Studies at the MACIS Programme from 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2025, while Prof. Dr. Dominik Hangartner is on leave.
EPG / CFP Group Retreat Engelberg
In February 2024, EPG and CFP researchers spent a two-day winter retreat in the mountains. Besides talks and presentations on ongoing research the WIDE session for well-being as a doctoral/postdoc student was included.
Research Colloquium Philosophy – Spring Semester 2024
With Beate Rössler, Adam Knowles, Franci Mangraviti, Martin Seel, Silvia de Toffoli and Nadja Germann
Lecture by Nadia Mazouz on April 24, 2024 as part of the "Ethics and Political Philosophy Colloquium"
Nadia Mazouz will give a lecture on 24.04.2024 as part of the "Ethics and Political Philosophy Colloquium" of the Chair of Ethics and Political Philosophy at the University of Freiburg
Geneva Graduate Conference in Political Philosophy
With the lecture "Paradoxes in Democracy and Liberalism" by Nadia Mazouz on February 16, 2024
Watching Armed Conflicts from Space
Leveraging open-access satellite images with deep learning can help humanitarian and human rights organizations address violent conflicts more rapidly. To ensure the effectiveness of remote monitoring, organizations need to align their strategies with the technical constraints of deep learning-based monitoring systems.
The Challenges of Wartime Polling in Ukraine
At the core of every conflict lies a paradox: political elites claim to be acting on behalf of the people, but violence means that measuring public opinion is incredibly challenging. This is evident today in Ukraine. Given the challenges posed by Russia’s war in Ukraine, how reliable are wartime polls?
New position for Kathrin Durizzo
Kathrin Durizzo will soon start her new position as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she will conduct research on more equitable and accessible health care for all.
"Sternstunde Philosophie" with Michael Hagner
"Sternstunde Philosophie" from 20th January 2024 with Michael Hagner on Paul Feyerabend
Farewell to Sara Booz
Sara Booz will no longer work for the Chair for Science Studies from 31 January 2024.
Program Science Studies Colloquium spring 2024
We are pleased to publish the program of the Science Studies Colloquium in the spring semester 2024.
Study: The state and the legalisation of illicit financial flows
Researchers from the ETH Development Economics Group examined the legalisation of illicit financial flows (IFFs) in the gold trade.
A thesis abroad: Bridging technology decision making and local engagement in Laos
Join us as we explore Yilin Huang's master's thesis journey, where her passion for technology, environment, and policymaking converge. To understand how community participation and policy decisions interact in a real-world environment, Yilin’s thesis focuses on landscape decision-making in rural Laos, where she spent two months during the summer of 2023.
Course: The Basics of Development Cooperation
From 6-8 June 2024, ETH NADEL is offering a course for practitioners with no formal training in international cooperation or development studies.
"The Right to be Forgotten" - CLE Vlog with Prof. Christopher Yoo (University of Pennsylvania)
In the new episode of the CLE vlog & podcast series, Christopher S. Yoo (University of Pennsylvania) and Christophe Gösken (ETH Zurich) talk about Prof. Yoo's study "An Economic Analysis of the Right to be Forgotten". The so-called “right to be forgotten” has gained prominence under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and similar regulatory frameworks have recently been introduced in US state privacy statutes.
Speed limit 30 in Swiss cities - What do Swiss residents want?
A new report based on data from the Swiss Mobility Panel and the Swiss Environmental Panel shows: Opinions on #SpeedLimit30 in Swiss cities vary widely. Political and environmental attitudes play a decisive role in shaping opinions.
SEFI 2024: Educating Responsible Engineers
Call for papers is open. Conference at EPFL from September 2-5, 2024. Keynotespeakers: Donna Riley, Johanna Lönngren, Margarita Boenig-Liptsin
«Kafkas Werkstatt»
8. Mai 2024. Das neue Buch von Kafka-Experte Andreas Kilcher über den Schriftsteller bei der Arbeit. Gespräch mit Andreas Kilcher (ETHZ) und Lesung der Texte von Thomas Sarbacher
Kafka – Türen, Tod & Texte
7. Februar 2024 Vernissage im Strauhof der Ausstellung: Türen, Tod & Texte
Postdoc Position focused on Data Science in a Computational Social Science Team
A new open position is available in our group.
ETH with Ukraine—Exchanging Knowledge for a Sustainable and Resilient Future
The exhibition 'ETH with Ukraine—Exchanging Knowledge for a Sustainable and Resilient Future' is showcasing the collaborative efforts of ETH Zurich to address the challenges posed to people and society in Ukraine through the wartime destruction.
Apply now for the MAS programme at ETH NADEL
The Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) ETH in Global Cooperation and Sustainable Development combines studies at ETH Zurich with on-the-job training around the world.
Vortrag: Kafka und die Kunst
Vortrag von Andreas Kilcher am 25. Januar 2024 um 18.00 Uhr in der Villa Stuck in München
Workshop on Paul Feyerabend
On the occasion of Paul Feyerabend's 100th birthday, a workshop will be held at ETH Zurich on February 22 and 23, 2024.
Festival for Data Protection Day 2024: Artificial intelligence – having a say instead of running along
With a discussion on 29.01.2024 between Rahel Bains , Margarita Boenig-Liptsin, Professor of Ethics, Technology and Society at ETH, and data protection officer Dominika Blonski on how technology development can be controlled. [Further information only in German]
Individual Carbon Footprints: A Key to Equitable Climate Policy
A recent blog post by Prof. Thomas Bernauer explores the importance of understanding the climate impacts of various population groups. This is key to devising climate policies that are not only equitable but also resonate with the majority. The article distills the latest insights from the Swiss Environmental Panel. These findings shed light on the varied behaviors and carbon footprints across the population and identify those potentially most affected by climate policies.