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Blick: Mr. Mesot, the most famous ETH student was Albert Einstein. What will it say about the upcoming cuts?
Joel Mesot: “We are playing with our future”
ETH Zurich should get 50 million less. They resist and suggest a round table. Has the Federal Council already agreed?
We are in conversation. I understand the difficult financial situation of the federal government. But ultimately the best research in Switzerland should not be damaged. In the research, we want to stay in the Champions League and that costs money.
Joël Mesot (59) from Geneva has been President of ETH Zurich since 2019. The physicist himself once studied at ETH and made a name for himself in his research with quantum materials. Mesot is married and has two children.
Joël Mesot (59) from Geneva has been President of ETH Zurich since 2019. The physicist himself once studied at ETH and made a name for himself in his research with quantum materials. Mesot is married and has two children.
What do you say to the SVP politician who thinks young people should do apprenticeships instead of high school?
I caution against playing study and teaching against each other. Switzerland is very good because we can follow different career paths. Every franc flowing into ETH is an investment that yields excellent returns. For every franc invested, Switzerland gets five francs back. Many patents and spin-offs are created in ETH; We are a driving force for innovation and carry out research into the future of energy storage, for example.
The Federal Council claims that the cuts have no consequences for research because they have reserves.
This is not true.
Is the Federal Council lying?
There’s a misunderstanding. The Federal Council is of the opinion that we can cover the cuts through reserves. But this is not possible. We need them for important infrastructure programs. The Federal Council also forgets that we must fight inflation. Although the number of students increases, the price increase is not compensated. Cumulatively, we’re probably losing around ten percent!
Swiss politicians like to say that education is the only raw material of our country. Are these just Sunday talks?
Education is the capital of Switzerland but unfortunately education is not a top priority. If we save money in education and research, we will pay for it in 10-20 years. An example: We have a supercomputer in Lugano, also owned by ETH. It is unique in the world in calculating simulations or reliable artificial intelligence models for weather forecasts. In the future we will no longer be able to afford this basic research.
He holds a professorship in literary studies at ETH and directs the Thomas Mann Archive. Does this fit your profile, even in financially strained times?
When a professor retires, we think: Is the profile still valid? How should we advertise the position? As a federal university, we aim to preserve cultural heritage and cover a broad field of knowledge; That’s why we have a department specifically for humanities, social and political sciences. However, if we have to save a large amount of money, no stone can be left unturned.
Joël Mesot (59) from Geneva has been President of ETH Zurich since 2019. The physicist himself once studied at ETH and made a name for himself in his research with quantum materials. Mesot is married and has two children.
Joël Mesot (59) from Geneva has been President of ETH Zurich since 2019. The physicist himself once studied at ETH and made a name for himself in his research with quantum materials. Mesot is married and has two children.
Why not increase tuition fees to close the financial gap?
I don’t want American conditions here. I am against young people having to go into debt to get a good education. I was the first person in my family to study. I was also able to go to ETH because the course was almost free.
Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly. Wouldn’t you need more money to compete here?
However. Instead of making huge savings now, we should really invest in this world-changing technology. We need CERN for artificial intelligence, otherwise we will miss one of the most important developments of the 21st century.
How attractive is ETH as an employer?
We are one of the best universities in the world because many bright minds study and study with us. But we continue to lose talent because they get better offers elsewhere. I deeply regret that Switzerland has not yet been able to reach an agreement with Brussels. Our inability to participate in the EU’s research program Horizon Europe as a full member is a great disadvantage in terms of location.
Do you regret that Science Minister Guy Parmelin is a member of the SVP, which is hostile to the EU?
Mr. Parmelin understands our concerns very well.
They managed to win over Lidl millionaire Dieter Schwarz as boss. He will invest millions in chairs in the German cities of Zurich and Heilbronn. Lidl is a cheap discount store. Does this suit ETH, the crème de la crème of research?
The Dieter Schwarz Foundation has a clear vision: to promote education and research. We are pleased that the Foundation wants ETH to be involved in the implementation of this vision, and we also have a clear mandate from the federal government to secure further third-party funding. I do not see any problems here, especially since the funds have no impact on the research and scientific independence is maintained.
The president of Harvard University in the US was forced to resign due to controversial statements regarding Hamas’ attack on Israel. Is there such a culture clash in ETH?
We have students and researchers from all over the world and sometimes there may be differences of opinion. We also noticed this at the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. But there were no political problems here like in the USA.
How do you protect yourself from espionage from abroad?
We are currently developing a strategy. We should exclude students studying at military-affiliated Chinese universities from certain research programs.
Lex Is this China?
NO. The aim is to check whether export control rules or sanctions are complied with in certain cases, regardless of the nationality of researchers. We have had a relevant expert unit in ETH since 2017.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
