News from the Executive Board 2021 / 3
In its recent meetings, the Executive Board approved the new programme regulations for the Bachelor of Mathematics, earmarked the funding of a research project in Val Bedretto and, for the first time, discussed a general return to the office after working from home.
In its last meeting, the Executive Board focused for the first time on ETH staff going back to the office after the long phase of working from home due to the pandemic; it now seems increasingly likely that life is returning to normal.
In-depth discussion on the future of work
Overall, the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the largely positive experience of the long phase of working from home and the shift in social values (more flexibility, a better work-life balance, greater individual responsibility, increased self-organisation and a focus on sustainability) underline the need to update existing working arrangements at ETH Zurich, too, in line with the respective tasks (research, administration etc.). At the same time, allowance must be made for the general conditions, personal growth and the Swiss Government’s mandate to use the available office space efficiently.
“Given the lessons learned from COVID-19, it is imperative that we all consider what form our interaction should take in the future. It is now time to lay the foundations that will pave the way for smarter working and collaboration.”Julia Dannath, Vice President of Personnel Development and Leadership
In accordance with this initial approach, the Executive Board decided to treat the short-term perspective, namely staff returning to the office, and the medium-term perspective as separate issues.
- In the short term: even before the pandemic, it was possible to work from home at ETH, with numerous teams taking advantage of this option. This practice is to be re-established after the summer holidays and may be extended as required, depending on the circumstances.
- The medium-term focus is on more than the percentage of time worked from home. It is about achieving the most intelligent combination of humans, technology and infrastructure. This goal will be the subject of a broad debate with all university groups.
New programme regulations for the Bachelor of Mathematics
The Executive Board has approved programme regulations for the undergraduate degree programme in mathematics, which will take effect from the Autumn Semester 2021. This is the first revision to the Bachelor of Mathematics since 2010. Students’ options are being extended and brought into line with the latest developments affecting mathematics, physics and, first and foremost, computer science. As a result, the number of compulsory physics lectures is to be reduced from the second semester. Students may now select certain lectures from the supplementary subjects of physics and computer science according to their personal preferences. Moreover, from the fourth semester, the number of compulsory mathematics lectures is to be reduced and students will be able to put the credit points this frees up towards compulsory elective courses from a series of mathematics lectures instead.
Start-up funding for the BedrettoLab
The Executive Board has agreed to provide financial support to the Bedretto Underground Laboratory for Geosciences and Geoenergies (BULGG) for the period of 2021 to 2023. The BedrettoLab (BULGG) is a departmental research platform operated by the ETH Department of Earth Sciences (D-ERDW). Installed in the Bedretto Tunnel, a side tunnel of the Furka railway tunnel, the lab facilitates research into the safe, efficient and long-term use of geothermal heat in line with the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050, in addition to earthquake physics and earthquake prediction. Europe’s largest geothermal energy research infrastructure, the Bedretto Lab was built from 2017 to 2020.
Investing in carbon-neutral chemical processes
As part of the external page Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures, the national research infrastructure Catalysis Hub (CAT+) is being established at ETH Zurich, EPFL and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). The ETH Board has earmarked appropriate funding for the hub. Headed by Christophe Copéret, Professor of Surface and Interface Chemistry (D-CHAB), CAT+ East is a subproject located at ETH Zurich and Empa. It supports basic research in heterogeneous catalysis by providing state-of-the-art automated instruments and advanced data analysis using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
To this end, the Executive Board has now approved the purchase of several high-throughput fixed-bed reactors and a DNP-NMR module. The fixed-bed reactors enable the performance of heterogeneous catalysts to be tested in parallel as an automated process. In heterogeneous catalysis, the reactants (catalysts) occur in different phases as gases and solids, for example. DNP-NMR is one of the most accurate techniques for characterising solid bodies in great detail. Along with the fixed-bed reactors, it will mean that more active and more selective catalysts can be developed. The devices will be vital for the external page National Center of Competence in Research “Catalysis”, of which ETH and EPFL are the home institutions. This NCCR aims to develop innovative, carbon-neutral chemical value chains by introducing new catalytic processes.