TALENT THRIVES AT ETH ZURICH

Abstract

This is paradise, says Frederic Merkt, assistant professor of physical chemistry at Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich (ETH Zurich), known as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. When came here, he says, I was amazed at the amount of trust the institute placed in me. In 1995, Merkt, now 31, became assistant professor at ETH Zurich, one of two federal universities in Switzerland-the other being Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne (EPF Lausanne). institute gave me sufficient money to do what wanted, and the scientific support and the intellectual stimulation from the scientific environment here are excellent, he says. I've never had such good conditions. ETH Zurich is trying to create a climate that is best for young people to do their own work as soon as possible. The climate at ETH Zurich—generated by its community of some of the world's most talented scientists, by its ample provision of research support, and by the freedom it allows its scientists to pursue their own re...