Teaching

ETH Zurich launched a new medical curriculum as a pilot programme three years ago. Lecturers and students alike have had a thoroughly positive experience. ETH will now continue its Bachelor’s course in human medicine as a regular course from 2021, marking the end of its start-up phase.

A team led by Christian Pohl received the KITE Award 2020 for the course “Tackling Environmental Problems”. The course allows Bachelor’s students at the Department of Environmental Systems Science to begin acquiring skills to deal with complex sustainability issues in their first year of studies.

Swissloop, the team of students developing hyperloop pods, took advantage of the break imposed by the coronavirus to improve the technology even further. Yesterday they unveiled their “research pod”. At its core lies a technologically refined linear motor that will propel future prototypes at even faster speeds.

Two EPFL students have compared the ability of a forest in Vaud Canton to protect against avalanches before and after it was ravaged by fire in 2018. Their method could be applied to other forested slopes, helping to enhance local reforestation strategies.

Due to the ongoing health crisis, the 15 international teams taking part in IGLUNA 2020 had to forget this year’s field campaign. Instead, they livestreamed their project presentations to the general public and aerospace professionals.

Twenty international teams competed in the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2020, including five teams from ETH Zurich. In an unprecedented winning streak, the ETH Zurich teams not only took the top five places, but also won all the special prizes. The thorough preparation by the student organisation Cyber Group was one of the reasons for their success.

For the past year, a team of apprentices has been carrying out real-world tasks and projects for the ETH community. An initial review of the pilot project shows that this hands-on approach works: the programme has allowed young trainees in the fields of IT, interactive media design and business administration to acquire important skills for the working world. 

EPFL’s first-year architecture students usually have the chance to build full-scale versions of their designs. But this year’s cohort will instead publish a book featuring blueprints for structures along the banks of the Rhône and Arve rivers in Geneva

Students taking part in EPFL’s interdisciplinary projects have had to work from home to limit the spread of COVID-19. Despite this challenge, they remain optimistic.

New research from ETH Zurich shows that holding events for new students before they enter university is an investment that pays off. Incoming students benefit from the chance to meet, mingle and form friendships at orientation events, which contributes to their long-term academic success.

The Lauzhack hackathon gave students a chance to redirect their semester projects towards issues related to the coronavirus. An intense, exhilarating experience for everyone involved.

How will technology-delivered instruction affect learning? It’s still too early to reach a conclusion, but the implications for exams are clear, says Elsbeth Stern.

Starting in September 2020, Bachelor’s students will have the option to take new classes in management and finance. Offered by the College of Management of Technology (CDM), these classes are designed to equip future engineering graduates with broad, versatile skillsets.

EPFL’s Center for Learning Sciences (LEARN) has published a trilogy of picture books to help parents and educators talk to young children about the struggles of life under the lockdown – from the dangers of fake news to limiting screen time and keeping in touch with loved ones. The stories, written with input from a coaching firm and a psychiatrist, are free to download and available in English, French and German.

ABCD: All continents, balanced gender, low carbon transport and diverse backgrounds. These criteria should shape the scientific conferences of the future.