Striking the right balance
The name Peter Frischknecht is synonymous with the Department of Environmental Systems Science. He has been in charge of coordinating the department and its study course for 25 years – with great success.
When Peter Frischknecht came to ETH Zurich as Coordinator for the Environmental Sciences course 25 years ago, the department was really taking off: in the light of the environmental catastrophes of the 1980s (such as Chernobyl and Schweizerhalle, see ETH Life Print, April 2013), ETH Zurich wanted its still new course to train experts in how to deal with the new social challenges. “The pioneers of the course were inspired by a certain spirit, a desire to do something for the environment,” says the Department and Study Course Coordinator, recalling the atmosphere of those days.
Frischknecht himself was one of those pioneers. He experienced all the changes in the department at first hand. These included the division of the Natural Sciences faculty ("Abteilung") into the faculties of Biology, Environmental Sciences and Earth Sciences and their transition into departments. He was also involved in the subsequent mergers of the former Department of Environmental Sciences with Forestry and Agricultural Sciences and the change of name to the current Environmental Systems Science.
As much freedom as possible
Today, the department, with some 60 professors (including honorary professors), is one of the largest at ETH Zurich. This is not always an advantage, as Frischknecht knows. In the past, everything could be dealt with at the Professors’ Conference. “Now the group has become too large for that.”
According to the Department Coordinator, the result has been a switch from a direct to a more representational democracy. This has required procedural rules, laying down binding structures, with committees and commissions. “That’s also how we have ensured that every unit within the department hears about the decisions that are made.” It is not an easy task. Frischknecht says that at ETH Zurich they follow the principle: as much freedom as possible, and only as much uniformity as necessary.
“It’s my job to try to strike the right balance.” For example, if an institute wants to design its own website, it is largely given a free rein. However, when it comes to matters of education, the department decides how they should be organised.
Sought-after graduates
The 62-year-old has achieved a lot. Exactly how much can be seen from the results of regular surveys of graduates and employers. The feedback shows that Environmental Sciences graduates are in great demand. That was not always the case. “It was difficult at first. Not many companies understood the skills that our students had when they graduated.” Nowadays things are different. Thanks to a constant dialogue with the outside world, Frischknecht is continually confronted with the challenges that are faced in practice. The difficulty in meeting them is that “The training must not only take account of the current needs of industry but also teach skills and expertise that will be useful in the long term, which will allow graduates to play a part in the move towards sustainable development.”
New course initiative is a good way to end
This is also his philosophy in his last major project: the UMNW2022 degree programme initiative. Its aim is thoroughly to re-evaluate the present education and research and to restructure it if necessary. In this way, Frischknecht is still playing a vital role in shaping the training of the future: “For me, it’s a good way to end my many years of work.”
Anniversaries
February, March 2014
30 years
February
Dr. Klaus Bredel, Controlling
Teresa Probanowski-Angst, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health
Erich Felder, Laboratory for Solid State Physics
Dr. Bj?rn Oddsson, Certificate Studies in Applied Earth Sciences
25 years
February
Prof. Dr. Martin Wild, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science
Marcel Rene Bourquin, ETH Library
Dr. Peter Mark Frischknecht, Department of Environmental Systems Science
March
Domenica Wieghardt Wild, ITS Service Delivery
Michele Tüscher, ITS Service Delivery
20 years
February
Sonja Baldauf, CCSAP
Béatrice Monsch H?nsli, Services
15 years
March
Cornelia Auer, Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology
Beat Helbling, Cryoliquids
10 years
February
Barbara Franziska Widmer, Computer Vision Laboratory
Olivier Gygi, ETH Library
Dr. Silvio Lorenzetti, Institute for Biomechanics
Anh-Tuyêt Rüegg-Huynh, Student administration
Marlen Karlen, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry
Maria Murillo-León, VP Human Resources and Infrastructure
March
Dr. Oliver Dietrich Amft, Electronics Laboratory
Dr. Markus Kalisch, Seminar for Statistics
Regina Maria Z?ch, Institute of Integrative Biology
Stephan Albert Rüegg, Building projects, incl. management
Dr. Daniel Werner Meyer-Massetti, Institute of Fluid Dynamics
Reto Hiltebrand, Facility Management
Ulrich Abele, ITS Software Services
Retirements
February
Joseph Kaelin, Institute of Technology in Architecture
Ursula Gottschalk, Rectorate
Egon Bader, Department of Physics
Dr. Theodora Rauch-Schwegler, Department of Architecture
Beat Gerber, President’s staff
Dr. Andreas Badertscher, Institute for Particle Physics
March
Martin Ebn?ther, VP Research & Corporate Relations
Liselotte Artel, Institute for Quantum Electronics
Judith Inglin, VP Finance & Controlling
Luciano Periale, Institute for Particle Physics