About ISTP
Public policies are key to address major challenges of our time, such as the sustainable use of natural resources, urban development, the energy transition, and challenges as well as opportunities related to digitalisation. Due to the increased importance of technology in modern society, effective policy designs require not only combined input from the natural sciences and engineering but also social sciences that can provide key elements of many solutions.
ETH Zurich, one of the leading technical universities in the world and ranked the best university in Continental Europe, has started to play an important role in this field. To this end, the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP) makes major contributions towards increasing the policy relevance of natural and engineering science research at ETH Zurich by connecting it to policy analysis and towards educating students and future decision-makers in government, the private sector, and society at the interface of science, engineering and policy-making.
Interdepartmental Structure
Currently the following ETH departments are involved in the ISTP:
- Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences
- Department of Environmental Systems Science
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering
- Department of Architecture
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology
- Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering
- Department of Management, Technology and Economics
The ISTP is open for new members and actively seeks collaboration with scientists from all ETH departments.