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The 'ETH Zürich', often called 'Swiss Federal Institute of Technology', is a science and technology university in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. Its full name is , with 'ETHZ' also being a common unofficial abbreviation. Locals sometimes refer to it by the name ''Poly'', from its original name ''Eidgenössisches Polytechnikum'' or ''Federal Polytechnic Institute''. Like its sister institution École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), it has three missions: education, research and technology transfer at the highest international level. Associated with several specialised research institutes, the two institutes (''ETHZ'' and ''EPFL'') form the 'ETH domain' , which is directly dependent on the Federal Department of Home Affairs.
The ETH is an internationally oriented university. It is a member of the IDEA League and the International Alliance of Research Universities IARU.
The sister institution in the French-speaking part of Switzerland is the ''École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne'' , or ''Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne'' in English, also Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Lausanne, in German ('EPFL' also ETH Lausanne or ETHL in German).

Contents

History

Reputation

Admission and education

Campus

Main building

Science City

Student life

Traditions

Departments

Notable alumni and faculty

See also

External links

Master programs

History

The ETH was founded in 1854 by the Swiss Confederation and opened its doors in 1855 as a polytechnic institute (''Eidgenössische Polytechnische Schule''). It comprised in the beginning six departments: architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, forestry, and a catch-all department for mathematics, natural sciences, literature, and social and political sciences.
The ETH is a ''federal'' institute (i.e., under direct administration by the Swiss government), whereas the University of Zurich is a ''cantonal'' institution. The decision for a new federal university was heavily disputed at the time, because the liberals pressed for a "federal university", while the conservative forces wanted all universities to remain under cantonal control, with the goal of giving liberal thoughts no refuge. In the beginning, both universities were co–located in the buildings of the University of Zurich.
In 1909, the course program of the ETH was restructured to that of a real university, from its early, very schoolish agenda,
and the ETH was granted the right to award doctorates. In 1911, it was given its current name, ''Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule''. In 1924, another reorganization structured the university in 12 departments.

Since 1993 the ETH Zürich, the EPFL, and four associated research institutes were joined and administered together as the "''ETH Bereich''".

Reputation

In national comparisons of the swissUP Ranking, the ETH traditionally achieves best marks in natural sciences, computer science and engineering sciences. However, it scores low in categories involving student opinions.
A ranking published by CHE in May 2006 compares the ETH with other universities in the German-speaking countries. The ETH ranked first by ''peer review'' and ''reputation'' in all natural sciences, computer science and engineering sciences. It also scores high in categories like ''number of publications'' and ''citations''.
The ETH is regularly ranked among the top universities in the world. It is placed between 3rd and 6th in Europe and between 10th and 27th in the world in international rankings by the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the Times Higher Education Supplement World University Rankings. It was also ranked 12th by the latter in both sciences and technology in 2005.
Historically, the ETH achieved its reputation particularly in the fields of chemistry, mathematics and physics. There are 21 Nobel Laureates who are associated with the ETH, counting only graduates of the ETH and Professors who have been honored for their work at ETH. The most recent Nobel Laureate is Kurt Wüthrich who was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2002.

Admission and education

The ETH is not selective in its undergraduate admission procedures. Like every public university in Switzerland, the ETH is obliged to grant admission to every Swiss citizen who sat through ''Matura''. However, most applicants from foreign countries are required to take either the ''reduced entrance exam'' or the ''comprehensive entrance exam''; an applicant can be admitted to the ETH even without any verifiable educational records by passing the ''comprehensive entrance exam''.
There are no obligatory examinations during the first academic year which is divided into two semesters.
However, the actual selection process takes place in the summer shortly after the second semester. Students have to pass the block examinations of courses of the first year, called the ''Basisprüfung''. If the weighted average score is not sufficient, you are required to retake the entire ''Basisprüfung'' which usually means that you have to resit through the first year. More than 50% of the students fail the ''Basisprüfung'' on first try and many of them choose to drop out after the failure.
The structure of examinations in higher academic years is similar to the ''Basisprüfung'', but with a higher success rate.
The regular time to reach graduation is six semesters for the Bachelor of Science degree and three further semesters for the Master of Science degree. The last semester is dedicated to writing a thesis.
Education at the ETH tends to be theoretically oriented with a high amount of mathematics involved throughout the courses. The main language of teaching in undergraduate studies is German while English is lingua franca in Master's studies and graduate studies.

Campus

The ETH Zürich has no single campus. The main building was constructed in the 1860s in the heart of the city, and when
the university grew, it spread out into the surrounding quarters. Its ''Zentrum'' location consists thus of various buildings and institutions throughout Zurich, firmly integrating the ETH in the city. The main building is right across the street from the University of Zurich.
Because this geographic situation substantially hindered the expansion of the ETH, a new campus was built from 1964 to
1976 on the ''Hönggerberg'' in the outskirts of the city. The last major expansion project of this new campus was completed in 2003; since then, the ''Hönggerberg'' location houses the departments of materials science, architecture, civil engineering, physics, biology, and chemistry.

Main building

The main building of the ETH was built 1861 to 1864 under Gustav Zeuner; the architect, however, was Gottfried Semper, who was a professor of architecture at the ETH at the time and one of the most important writers and theorists of the age. Semper worked in a Neo-classical style that was unique to him. It emphasized bold and clear massings with a detailing, such as the rusticated ground level and giant order above, that derived in part from the work of Andrea Palladio and Donato Bramante. During the construction of the University of Zurich, the south wing of the building was allocated to the University until its own new main building was constructed (1912 – 1914). At about the same time, Semper's ETH building was enlarged and also got its impressive cupola.

Science City

In the year of ETH's 150th anniversary, an extensive project for the Hönggerberg Campus has begun with the goal to create a Science City.

Student life

ETH students were found to be the busiest students of all institutions of higher education in Switzerland [2]. The undergraduates' tight curriculum consists of as much as twice the number of lectures as comparable courses of other swiss universities.
The ETH has well over 100 student associations. Most notably the VSETH (''Verband der Studierenden an der ETH'') which comprises all department associations. The associations regularly organize events with varying size and popularity. Events of the neighboring University of Zurich are well-attended by ETH students and vice versa. The VSETH organizes events of greater public attention, such as the ''Polyball'', the ''Polyparty'' and the ''Erstsemestrigenfest'', the first two housed in the main building of the ETH. Sometimes, the annual ''Erstsemestrigenfest'' takes place at extraordinary locations, for example the Zurich Airport. All freshmen enjoy special treatment at that event.

Traditions

The annual is the most prestigious public event at the ETH, with a long tradition since the 1880s. The end of November, the ''Polyball'' welcomes around 10000 dancers, music-lovers and party animals in the extensively decorated main building of the ETH. The ''Polyball'' is the biggest decorated ball in Europe.
The amicable rivalry between the ETH and the neighbouring University of Zurich has been cultivated since 1951. There has been an annual rowing match between teams from the two institutions on the river Limmat.
There are many regular symposia and conferences at the ETH, most notably the annual ''Wolfgang Pauli Lectures'', in honor of former ETH Professor Wolfgang Pauli. Distinct lecturers, among them 24 Nobel Laureates, have held lectures of the various fields of natural sciences at this conference since 1962.

Departments

As of 2006, the ETH Zurich comprises the following departments:
'Architecture and civil engineering'

★ Architecture

★ Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
'Engineering sciences'

★ Computer Science

★ Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

★ Management, Technology and Economics

★ Mechanical and Process Engineering

★ Materials Science
'Natural sciences and mathematics'

★ Biology

★ Chemistry and Applied Biosciences

★ Mathematics

★ Physics
'System-oriented natural sciences'

★ Agriculture and Food Sciences

★ Earth Sciences

★ Environmental Sciences
'Other sciences'

★ Humanities, Social and Political Sciences

Notable alumni and faculty

Main articles: List of ETH Zurich people

ETH Zurich has produced several notable people. More than twenty Nobel laureates have either studied or worked on the faculty of ETH Zurich. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, the first person to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics studied at ETH Zurich. Albert Einstein, one of the most famous scientist of 20th century, also studied at ETH Zurich. Other notable individuales associated with ETH Zurich include: physicist Wolfgang Pauli, architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage, architect Jacques Herzog, Mileva Marić (first wife of Einstein), mathematician Hermann Minkowski, mathematician Marcel Grossmann (also a friend of Einstein), mathematician and entrepreneur Philippe Kahn, computer scientist Niklaus Wirth and Har gobind Khorana(Indian nobel prize winner 1968) others.

See also

★ Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne- EPFL).

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★ University of Zurich

★ List of universities in Switzerland

★ 2000 Watt society

External links

★ ETH Zürich

★ PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute)

★ EMPA (EMPA, research body of the ETH domain)

★ UniPoly rowing match

★ Polyparty

★ Polyball

★ United Visions (campus TV)

★ VSETH (student association)

★ SiROP (Student Research Opportunities Program)

★ ETH juniors- Official Junior Enterprise of the ETH Zurich

Master programs

★ Master of Advanced Studies in Finance