I am the fourth generation in my family to have studied at ETH Zurich -so the choice of institution was quite natural for me. Choosing the topic of study was more difficult. However, in hindsight, I can’t imagine studying anything other than mechanical & industrial engineering, as it covers so many different disciplines and hones your problem solving skills with a strong practical component! During my studies, I was involved in numerous student associations and spent two semesters abroad, at NUS and MIT. Through my involvement as a member of the board at ETH Alumni Association I still feel closely connected with ETH today.

ETH is a big institution that can be very siloed; more collaboration across these silos and a stronger sense of community could have a tremendous impact within but also towards alumni and friends of ETH . The work of the ETH Circle brings in a different perspective, a fresh approach and community building practices that can be tested and developed in a small group, and eventually scaled to a larger audience.

Connecting & creating synergies between the ETH Circle and the ETH Alumni Association will be vital. What are ways to help the ETH Circle based on the Association’s experience, and vice-versa? How can we jointly leverage the vast social capital within our alumni and friends of ETH that benefit both them and ETH? My notion is that this will create ripple effects that will ultimately benefit ETH as an institution.

ETH is great at bringing out new technologies and developing cutting-edge research; where I think we can do better is creating a strong community with an emotional connection to the institution. The ETH Circle is thus more than a group of people spending time together. Through knowledge-sharing, networking, bringing together people with shared interests and values, we create a bond that contributes to improving ETH itself, as well as society.