Teaching

In addition to her master's degree in mechanical engineering, Nathalie Nick, 23, is managing a major project: Swissloop pods, machines that accelerate to hundreds of km/h in a vacuum to test a new concept in freight transport.

EPFL has a strategy to encourage creativity during studies. It is based on interdisciplinary projects, dedicated infrastructures and professional support teams, explains its head, Pascal Vuilliomenet.

She will send six amateur astronauts into an underground tunnel under the Alps to simulate a space mission. A student at the EPFL, Chloé Carrière lives her passion for astronomy alongside her classes.

Since spring 2020, EPFL teachers have had to make remote teaching a part of their daily job. This has given rise to major challenges – but also led to new, effective teaching practices and enhanced collaboration. We took a look at how teachers are adapting to the novel approach.

The new episode of the ETH Podcast marks the beginning of a series on the topic of uncertainty. The presidents of the students' umbrella organization and the rector report on how they are dealing with the pandemic.

Collegium Helveticum is the joint think tank of ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Leadership of the organisation is set to change hands in January 2021, with ETH professor Sebastian Bonhoeffer taking over the reins. A biologist and musician, Bonhoeffer has long pursued his passions for science and art. We sat down with him to talk about how he sees his new role. 

Most people underestimate exponential growth, including when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus. The ability to grasp the magnitude of exponential growth depends on the way in which it is communicated. Using the right framing helps to understand the benefit of mitigation measures.

The Swiss government is sponsoring the African Cities Lab initiative to provide online training for urban-development professionals in Africa. EPFL is spearheading this initiative – which has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) – through its Excellence in Africa Centre, and has already signed up six partner organizations. 

A website developed at EPFL allows teachers and students to explore concepts from chemistry and biology by manipulating virtual molecules in augmented reality. The activities run as web pages in regular computers, tablets, and smartphones, enabling each student to work full-time from home and school without needing complicated and expensive equipment.

Donna Testerman, a professor at EPFL’s Institute of Mathematics, is this year’s recipient of the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching. Her achievements include a comprehensive MOOC in linear algebra that is open to all.

Companies wanting to offer internships to EPFL Master’s students can apply for a new sustainability certification to demonstrate that the goals of their internship or the technology being developed are environmentally friendly.

Magic Cube is a new teaching tool developed by ETH Zurich, ABB and mint & pepper. It uses a playful approach to teach junior high and high school students the basics of electrical engineering and awaken their interest in the field.

For the construction of the SwissFEL facility in 2013, around five hectares of forest were cleared and transformed into a new habitat for flora and fauna. Biologists and forest engineers have now assessed the results of the renaturization project and are excited about the progress to date. The site is now home to several rare animal and plant species.

On 13 and 14 November 2020, some 60 teams from all over the world will compete at CYBATHLON 2020. It’s the high point that pilot Stefan Poth has been waiting for – postponed by months due to the pandemic. At last, he can show what he can achieve when wearing a leg prosthesis.

As part of his Master's project at EPFL's Urban Sociology Laboratory (LASUR), Felix Boesch conducted a survey on the combined use of bicycles and trains in the Lausanne and Nyon urban agglomerations. Based on the assumption that supply creates demand, Boesch has formulated several proposals for boosting the modal share of this type of transportation, which is still underused in the region.