Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland

History, aims and reputation

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) was opened in 1855 and from the start was one of the most renowned universities of technical and natural sciences universities in Europe. In its mission statement today, ETH Zurich professes the following principles: Advancement and support of high-quality education and research at the highest international level; promotion of networked and system-oriented thinking and acting; maintaining intellectual and cultural diversity as well as academic freedom for education and research.

Fields of research and education

ETH Zurich operates teaching and research programs in the following areas:

• Construction and geomatics:
  Architecture; civil engineering, environmental engineering and geomatics engineering
• Engineering sciences:
  Mechanical and process engineering; electrical engineering and information technology;
  computer science; materials science; management, technology and economics
• Sciences and mathematics:
  Mathematics; physics; chemistry; biology; pharmaceutical sciences
• System-oriented sciences:
  Earth sciences; environmental sciences; agricultural and food sciences
• Humanities, social and political sciences

Research-based education

Thanks to its scientific knowledge generated through research, ETH Zurich can continuously update its educational offer to the latest level of knowledge and scientific qualifications and adapt to the needs of society, the environment and culture. The bachelor’s and master’s programs and the offer in continuing education are inextricably linked to the research conducted at ETH Zurich.

Key data

360 professors in 15 departments are the backbone of research and education at ETH Zurich. About 8,000 employees, 30% of whom are women, are active in research, education and administration. ETH Zurich has 12,500 students (including doctoral candidates and students enrolled in university-level continuing education courses). Every year, 1,200 students receive their diploma (master’s degree) and 500 students graduate with a doctorate. The total budget of ETH Zurich is over one billion Swiss francs or about 660 million euros per year.

Ranking

ETH Zurich consistently holds a top place in international rankings. In the Times Higher Education Supplement’s ranking (November 2004) of the world’s 200 best universities, ETH Zurich was placed tenth.

Nobel prize laureates

21 Nobel Prize laureates are associated with ETH Zurich, having either studied, taught or conducted research here. The roster ranges from Wilhelm Konrad Röntgen (Physics 1901) to Albert Einstein (Physics 1920) to Kurt Wüthrich (Chemistry 2002).

International relations

In addition to the countless individual research connections to the leading universities in the world, ETH Zurich also supports its international relations in the following strategic networks:

• IDEA League: Imperial College, London; Delft University of Technology; ETH Zurich; Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen).
• Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS): Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Tokyo; Chalmers University of Technology.

For further information visit:
http://www.ethz.ch/index_EN