Strategy
ETH Zurich's Strategy and Development Plan provides a roadmap for the next four years: it is a tool to help the ETH community and the institution as a whole chart its course when it comes to education, research, and knowledge and technology transfer. Just like science itself, this process is not linear, but rather more akin to a constant search for solutions and a willingness to critically examine what has already been achieved.
Strategic Planning 2021-2024
This Download Strategy and Development Plan (PDF, 2.3 MB) outlines ETH's mission of contributing to prosperity and well-being in Switzerland and advocating for the preservation of the country's vital resources. The scale and complexity of the global challenges we face require an interdisciplinary approach and the will to cooperate with stakeholders from every part of society. We have recalibrated our compass and are ready to take the next steps. The next four years offer many opportunities for ETH to develop as an educational institution and to raise its profile on the national and international stage.
Participatory strategy process
This strategy document was created in the tradition of ETH Zurich's participative culture: it is the result of a broad, bottom-up process that involved the Strategy Commission, the four university groups (faculty, non-professorial scientific staff, students, and technical and administrative staff), and the academic departments. The process of drafting our strategy for the 2021–2024 period helped us analyse the landscape in which ETH is embedded along with the opportunities and challenges that the future will bring. This involved critical discussion between all stakeholders throughout the university as well as an internal consultation process. Thanks to the reflection and participation of the entire ETH community, we were able to develop a strategy that reflects the true complexity and diversity of our institution.
Quality assurance
According to the Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Swiss Higher Education Sector (Higher Education Act, HEdA), ETH Zurich is obliged to be accredited as an institution. Institutional accreditation is intended to ensure that higher education institutions have their own quality assurance system and that quality assurance is carried out effectively according to national criteria and international standards.
Institutional accreditation
ETH Zurich received institutional accreditation from the Swiss Accreditation Council on 24 September 2021 in accordance with the HEdA. The external page accreditation decision and procedure report of the Swiss Agency for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ) were published by the Swiss Accreditation Council on 18 October 2021. The Download self-evaluation report (PDF, 1.6 MB) (available in German only) on which the accreditation is based was published at the same time as the accreditation decision.
ETH Zurich quality assurance strategy
The quality assurance strategy of ETH Zurich is contained in the institution’s Strategy and Development Plan. To address the growing importance of quality assurance, ETH has for the first time published a set of guidelines on the internal quality assurance system. These guidelines are based on the objectives contained in the Strategy and Development Plan 2021–2024. They explore how the objectives of the Strategy and Development Plan 2021–2024 can be achieved, describe quality development at ETH and outline the processes and organisation of quality assurance.
Download Guide to the internal quality assurance system at ETH Zurich (PDF, 369 KB)
Strategic planning in the ETH Domain
For more information about strategic planning in the ETH Domain, please visit the external page website of the ETH Board.