Welcoming the world’s elite

Last summer, the Institute for Theoretical Studies was founded at ETH Zurich with the aim of enabling top scientists from all over the world to take up research stints at ETH Zurich. “The first six months were all about looking for researchers”, says Institute Director Giovanni Felder. Together with the scientific council, which is composed of representatives from ETH Zurich and external scientists, he has been keeping an eye out for renowned professors. And the committee has already found two: Terry Hwa, a physics professor from the University of California in San Diego, and Henryk Iwaniec, a mathematics professor from Rutgers University in New Jersey. The mathematician is coming to Zurich this summer, and the physicist is already here. Both will be spending a year at ETH Zurich.

The first top-flight researcher

Terry Hwa has been in Switzerland with his family since January. He is particularly over the moon at the opportunity to spend his one-year sabbatical at ETH Zurich. “Of all the European universities I’ve visited, ETH Zurich is the most international,” says Hwa. Institute Director Giovanni Felder is also delighted that Terry Hwa will be his guest for a year: “He’s a leading researcher with an innovative approach to theoretical biology.” A research field that is becoming increasingly important – including at ETH Zurich.

The main focus of Hwa’s research is the intestinal bacterium E. coli. The intestinal bacteria are part of a highly complex and dynamic system involving countless partners. Cells, molecules and other actors interact with each other and are constantly in motion. Terry Hwa’s goal is to describe this system mathematically and thus render the processes predictable.

Although Terry Hwa already knew numerous researchers from ETH Zurich, there has not been a collaboration that produced a scientific publication – something which the physicist wants to change. “A research sabbatical is just the ticket to put our heads together over a cup of tea and come up with an idea”, says Hwa. “This creative exchange can’t take place long-distance; direct contact is essential.” The list of ETH scientists whom he wants to meet in person is long.

Thinking outside the box

Hwa is also holding a lecture this semester for students from different disciplines, including physics, engineering and biochemistry. With his “Quantitative Biology” course he would like to bring the students closer to biology. “For me, it’s important to highlight how central is the interdisciplinary approach and how the individual subjects can benefit from each other”, says Hwa.

That perfectly suits his host institute, which already sets great store by a dialogue between subjects. In future, Institute Director Giovanni Felder would like to move further in this direction and work with even more disciplines. New, potential research facilities for the Institute are discussed in the interdisciplinary series of talks entitled ITS Science Colloquium.

A chance for young people

However, the Institute does not merely want to boost the exchange of ideas between big names in research; it is also committed to promoting the next generation of researchers. For instance, talented young scientists who have just completed their doctorate successfully are offered the opportunity to spend three years as postdocs at the Institute of Theoretical Studies by means of an exchange programme. They work there independently, but supported by a professor of ETH Zurich.

One feature is the fact that they specifically have funds to invite researchers from all over the world to visit Zurich. “International exchange between scientists is a key success factor across all generations”, Felder is convinced.

Unlike senior fellows invited to ETH Zurich, “junior fellows” need to be nominated by a professor. Consequently, Felder has written to colleagues and pointed out the opportunities his Institute can offer. “We’ve received so many top-class applications that it wasn’t easy to decide”, he says. Although there aren’t any candidates here as yet, the first three have already been chosen. They will all be conducting research at ETH Zurich for three years as postdocs.

And Terry Hwa is constantly on the look-out for talented young researchers for his lab in San Diego, too. Perhaps he will be going home at the end of the year with an ETH student in his suitcase.

The article was originally published in the current issue of Globe and was slightly abridged for online publication.