Federal Council austerity plans: let’s not cut the branch we’re sitting on

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ETH Zurich is one of the best universities in the world: depending on the ranking, it is among the top 10 or 20 universities in the world. This is a blessing for little Switzerland, which in 2023 was again named the most innovative country in the world by the United Nations. Switzerland benefits from ETH Zurich and the ETH domain with research institutes such as the Paul Scherrer Institute. Not only due to its innovations, but also due to the quality training of students. Unlike, for example, the United States, this training is available to all school graduates with a high school diploma and is also relatively inexpensive. The cost of an ETH semester is 730 francs per semester, that is about 1500 francs per year. If you want to get a similar education at top US universities, such as Harvard, MIT or Stanford, you will have to pay about $50,000 per year – 30 times more.

This high-quality and affordable education is the hallmark of Switzerland. This allows a small country like Switzerland to make its presence known internationally. As a result, innovation creates greater added value for the country. And low tuition means students won’t have to give up their studies or go into more debt due to lack of financial resources.

For this reason it is often emphasized that Switzerland does not have any natural resources such as mineral resources, but that education is our most important raw material. This commodity is now at risk: the Federal Council’s austerity plans also affect ETH and the ETH domain, where massive budget cuts are planned. One can only regret this and wonder whether the financial consequences for the country will ultimately be more serious than the money that is now being accumulated.

ETH and the ETH domain are where knowledge is created that allows us to avoid crises and develop solutions for today and tomorrow. Even in difficult situations you need to think about the future. Let’s not saw the branch we’re sitting on!

Source: Blick