ISTP News

(Re-post from ETH News) The ETH Zurich & Swiss federal railways (SBB) mobility initiative launched in 2018 is gaining momentum. Konstantinos Boulouchos, the driving force behind the project, explains how far things have come since then and in which direction the initiative is set to develop.

(Re-​post from ETH News) With the number of coronavirus cases growing rapidly, ETH Zurich sees no choice but to extensively restrict classroom teaching starting on 2 November. The ETH community will receive detailed information over the course of this week.

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. (Re-​post from ETH News)

In shaking our society to its core Covid-​19 shows that we must adopt a far broader perspective to tackle the complex socio-​ecological problems humanity faces, says Jaboury Ghazoul, associate members of ISTP. (Re-​post from ETH Zukunftsblog)

Working from home, distance learning, online shopping – many African countries cannot easily adopt rich nations’ measures against the coronavirus. ISTP member Prof. Isabel Günther calls for international solidarity in the pandemic. (Re-post from ETH Zukunftsblog)

ETH Zurich is switching to emergency operations. In this interview, ETH President Joël Mesot explains what this means for research, teaching and work. (Re-​post from ETH News)

Due to the latest developments in the spread of the coronavirus, the Executive Board has decided to suspend all classroom teaching with effect from Monday, 16 March up to the end of Spring Semester 2020. The university is continuing to expand its offering of online study alternatives. (Re-post from ETH News)

In collaboration between ETH Zurich and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), a Summer School on solid waste management in Kumasi, Ghana has been planned. 20 students from ETH Zurich and 40 students from KNUST, all of diverse academic backgrounds and cultures, will be able to benefit of an intensive three-​week learning experience submerging them into the topic of waste.

ETH Zurich has been trying for years to increase the percentage of women in its ranks, not least among its students. So far, these efforts have not met with huge success. Why is that? And what is ETH doing to attract more female students? We asked Rector Sarah Springman. (Re-​post from ETH News)

Searched for and found: climate researchers can now detect the fingerprint of global warming in daily weather observations at the global scale. They are thus amending a long-​established paradigm: weather is not climate – but climate change can now be detected in daily weather. (Re-​post from ETH News)

The world is not on track with regard to its CO₂ emissions. In order to achieve the Paris climate targets, we all need to show courage and commitment, says Nicolas Gruber - Professor of Environmental Physics at the Department of Environmental Systems Science and Associate Member of ISTP. (Re-​post from ETH Zukunftsblog)

ETH researchers have shown that we can use the structure of urban road networks to predict their traffic capacity. This information enables urban and transportation planners to quantify how changes will influence traffic volumes. (Re-​post from ETH News)

(Repost from ETH Zukunftsblog) The Paris Agreement relies on voluntary and therefore weak commitments. But contrary to popular belief, if some countries “free-ride”, this does not undermine the commitment of others, writes Thomas Bernauer.

(Repost from ETH News) Climate policy is most effective when it helps people use alternative energy sources, rather than when it makes fossil energy more expensive, argue Anthony Patt and Johan Lilliestam.

When it comes to implementing the Paris Agreement, the long-term view of climate change dominates, says Lukas Fesenfeld. This is a wasted opportunity. (Repost from ETH News)

What happens when a hip-hopper roams ETH and meets the students? Of course, they rap together. And while they’re about it, you get to learn a lot about the Master's programmes. (Re-post from ETH News)

Two Professors, members of our Institute, Isabel Günther & Stefan Bechtold will get funding for their projects in the first round of the ETH+ initiative. Congratulations!

(Repost from ETH News) Will climate change, as often claimed, indeed result in large-scale human migration, notably from poor to rich countries? Vally Koubi and Thomas Bernauer answer.