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People from more than 120 nations work at ETH Zurich. They all shape the culture and success of our university. For the next "life" magazine, we would like to focus on their cultural backgrounds - and are looking for employees who did not grow up in Europe.

Do you regularly meet up with other ETH members to yodel? Do you play exotic sports such as unicycle hockey or canoe polo with colleagues? Or do you compete with each other as gourmet chefs?

Screen or blackboard? Chalk or digital pen? In the current issue of "life", Meike Akveld and Andreas Steiger from the Department of Mathematics discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the classic blackboard in the classroom. And what is your opinion? Discuss with them.

The pre-Christmas season is filled with traditions. What are some in your research group or team? Tell us in the next "life" magazine!

For the next issue of life magazine, we are looking for ETH members who would like to talk about their life crises. If you think other people can learn from your experiences and take heart from them, please let us know by 28 August.

The rETHink project aimed, among other things, to promote the culture of discussion at ETH Zurich. But have the efforts been successful? Read the opinions of two ETH employees in the current special edition of the magazine "life". And what is your opinion? 

We have only heard from advocates of this topic, which is why two ETH employees argue for meeting rules at ETH. Do you think differently?

Two ETH employees argue for and against a quota for women in management positions.

The new life magazine for the ETH community is now arriving in everyone’s mailboxes. But this time it’s more than just a new issue – the magazine has been revamped with a fresh look, extra pages and new sections. We’ve also redesigned life to focus even more on you, our valued readers.

As this topic attracted only contributions from the “For” camp, instead of an “Against” argument, Head of HR Consulting Lukas Vonesch has provided his perspective below.

We received a whole host of deliciousness in response to our appeal for your favourite baking recipes from countries across the globe. Below you will find the recipes submitted by Kristýna Kantnerová, Nicholas Cardo and Silvana Albert, along with more about the traditions and some anecdotes surrounding their delicious baked goods.

Two ETH members speak out in favour and against the abolition of Christmas gifts respectively. What do you think of this tradition? Discuss it with the ETH community in the comments.

Two ETH researchers argue whether researchers should get involved in political discussions.

Two ETH employees argue for and against the concept of flexible workplaces.

More and more companies and institutions are adopting a more informal internal culture. Should ETH follow suit? Christine Bratrich and Robert Schikowski, employees of ETH Zurich, stand up for their position.

The coronavirus has flipped ETH Zurich’s working and teaching life on its head. Before the second wave hit, we asked ETH members how this extraordinary year has been for them and what they hope will come out of it.

ETH Zurich has expanded its Executive Board from five to seven domains. life presents a profile of the two new vice presidents.

Opinions differ on the question of whether the German language needs gender-appropriate formulations. Franziska Schmid and Rudolf Friederich, employees of ETH Zurich, stand up for their position.

Since early November, the ETH Store on Hönggerberg campus has been offering an expanded selection that includes food and drinks alongside books, stationery and other merchandise. To offer this new one stop shop, the ETH Store has entered into a partnership with Valora.

For those experiencing serious conflicts, threats or abuse in the workplace, it can often seem as though there is no way out. New regulations set out the procedure for dealing with difficult situations at ETH.

It might sound odd, but ETH Zurich is not just based in Zurich. The university has around 20 sites, including in the canton of Graubünden and in northwestern Switzerland, and even in Asia. They may not be the most obvious of locations, but there are good reasons behind them.

After 16 years as head of Academic Services, Dieter Wüest recently handed over leadership of the department to Hermann Lehner, previously a senior scientist with a focus on education in the Department of Computer Science. We spoke to both of them about the impact of the coronavirus crisis on teaching, and about their specific projects and visions for the future.

What has life in lockdown been like for ETH members? And what lessons can we learn for the future of our work? Professor Gudela Grote conducted a large-scale survey to look into these questions.

Create an ETH coronavirus meme about your experience during the emergency operations and make ETH Zurich laugh a little! The best memes will be published in the next "life" magazine.

The spread of coronavirus has led ETH Zurich to start operating with emergency measures in place. We asked ETH members about the challenges they are currently facing and how they’re overcoming them.

The arrival of autumn means that annual appraisal interviews are back on the agenda. Lukas Vonesch, Head of Human Resources at ETH Zurich, sheds light on whether this management tool is still fit for purpose, how useful it is to have a graded assessment, and what constitutes a valuable interview.

Diversity, referring to the variety that exists within a group, abounds wherever many different people come together. ETH itself is very much an example of a cultural melting pot. But what does “diverse” actually mean, and how do people at ETH deal with it?

ETH supports its staff in their personal and professional development, offering a variety of opportunities for continuing education. life takes a look at what’s on offer and highlights the key points when it comes to future staff development.

As President of the Staff Commission (PeKo), André Blanchard focused on dialogue and achieved good results for employees. What strategies will his successor Christopher Sauder be pursuing and what are his aims?

Day-to-day work at the university is physically and mentally demanding. What does this mean for our health? What can we do to improve our health and how can ETH help?

Virtual realities, interactive platforms and a more social form of face-to-face learning: specialists from Educational Development and Technology as well as the departments are transforming teaching at ETH.

11,400 people work at ETH Zurich, and 1,250 of them have a management role. However, we all have a role to play in shaping our management culture and, by extension, the success of our university.

Alongside very good rankings and academic awards, there have also been reports of alleged abuse of power at ETH in recent months. One of the repeated allegations in this context is that ETH is concealing information rather than sharing it openly. In this interview – deliberately conducted by an independent external journalist, former radio correspondent and now freelance journalist Casper Selg – the Head of Corporate Communications at ETH gives us his view.

Studying and working at ETH Zurich can be quite demanding. Luckily the university environment offers a number of opportunities to get back to nature. life presents a selection of five relaxing outdoor spaces on the Zentrum and Hönggerberg campuses.

“Sustainability” is the term on everyone's lips these days – but it is much more than just a buzzword. At its core, it raises existential questions for humans and the environment. Read on to find out what “sustainable” means at ETH Zurich and how the university is contributing to society in this area.

“You can’t say that, it’s far too provocative!” “That’s too wishy-washy, it has to be clear.” “You’ve crossed a line there!”

Now more than ever, medicine is the focus of individual and social interest – it is also in the spotlight at ETH Zurich.

With the celebration of love and joy at Christmas fast approaching, this edition of “life” is dedicated to the topic of love. Where and how do couples meet at ETH? And what's their secret when it comes to finding love? In this edition, our cover story seeks to answer all of these questions. Happy reading and Merry Christmas!

Does the election of Donald Trump impact the faculty recruitment at ETH Zurich?

The Executive Board is launching a new campaign to encourage respectful behaviour and personal responsibility among ETH members.

Data permeates every aspect of our lives and is an integral part of any research work. To ensure that ETH Zurich can consolidate its strong position in this important developing field, the university will be stepping up its activities significantly in a number of areas.

Alongside research and teaching, the transfer of knowledge and technological expertise is one of the key tasks for ETH Zurich. ETH transfer helps researchers to share their findings from the lab with the world of business.

Joël Bérard is the Head of Research at Agrovet-Strickhof. The keen mountain climber likes to challenge himself.

While most employees and students are heading home, the late shift is just beginning for some. We take a look at a night at ETH Zurich.

What goes on at ETH at night after most of the students and staff have gone home? The author of our cover story asked exactly this question – and discovered that the campus never sleeps.

What is Globi doing at ETH? And how did this Globi book come about? Discover the answers to these questions – and more – about the new Globi volume in our cover story in the latest edition of “life”.