In the future, the scientific fields of energy, materials sciences, environment and sustainability, and biomedical imaging are to be united in competence networks. "The goal is to position ETH and its institutions under the best ten in the world," said Zehnder. According to the latest international ranking from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, ETH Zurich is currently in place 27 of the most renowned universities in the world, and in first place in continental Europe.

Plans foresee the co-ordination of energy research in a competence center in Windisch/Brugg, beginning in 2005 under the lead of the Paul-Scherrer Institute. One centre, already in the process of being set up, is a centre for sustainable mobility, where development will continue on the fuel cell vehicle, Hy-Light, recently presented in Shanghai.

Centre for Materials Sciences and Micro-technology

Materials sciences together with the nano- and micro-sciences will also be brought into a single network in 2005. This competence centre will be domiciled in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Amongst others, research from the EPF Lausanne, EMPA and the Swiss Centre of Electronics and Microtechnology CSEM) in Neuchâtel will be co-ordinated there. It was reported at the media conference that the aim of this was, "to develop new materials for medical purposes, computer sciences, as well as for energy and communications installations, construction and transport".

Alexander J.B. Zehnder, President of the ETH Board: after his first 100 days in office he presents a preliminary balance sheet and plans for reforms. large

Both ETH institutions want to choose their future students and admit only the best. Picture: ETH Board. large

By July 2005 a centre for the environment and sustainability will be set up at ETH Zurich. It will co-ordinate the scientific competences of EAWAG, WSL and ETH Zurich "on current environmental problems". EPF Lausanne will ensure the connection of the project to the western part of the country. Plans include a competence centre for natural disasters and risk management within this network. It was not said at the media conference whether this centre would be outsourced to Davos, as one newspaper (Sonntags-Zeitung) reported on 12th September. Should this materialise, it would concern the Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW).

Competence in imaging methods

Starting in April 2005 a further competence centre should take up its work, namely the network Biomedical Imaging of ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne and the Paul-Scherrer Institute. Together with the combined faculties of medicine of the universities of Zurich, Basle, Berne, Lausanne and Geneva the centre will co-ordinate the extension into "an instrument for the latest high resolution imaging methods in biomedical research".

Also in the pipeline of the ETH domain–already running in fact–are the two life sciences initiatives from EPF Lausanne, ISREC and the universities of Lausanne and Geneva, as well as SystemsX, a systems biology centre of ETH Zurich and the universities of Zurich and Basle. The funding of SystemsX, particularly, is a headache for the president of the ETH Board. "Discussions have not yet been concluded," he answered with diplomatic skill when asked about this matter.

Funding not assured

Actually: the funding of scientific research in Switzerland was anything but assured. "The federal government's contribution to the ETH domain has remain unchanged since 2000," lamented Zehnder. He feared that the increase, proposed in the BFT (Government notification on the fosterin of education, research and technology) for the period 2004–2007, would be effected "in a strongly reduced form". "Our country is losing competitive advantage. By international comparison, Swiss quality in education and innovation is falling," said Zehnder. He went on to warn, "that Switzerland's most important generator for the economy and intellectual competitiveness has started to stall. We are weakening the most important factor of our hitherto existing success".

The Board also hopes to be able to make changes as far as personnel and students are concerned. At the media conference Zehnder launched a plea for the "fourth academic freedom", namely the right of institutions to select their future students. Zehnder also hopes that the new teaching staff and personnel regulations in the ETH domain would lead to "flexible conditions of employment and salaries", which would facilitate the search for excellent scientists.