Luca Di Tizio – ETH CIRCLE

Luca Di Tizio
CTO
Microcaps AG

My connection to ETH Zurich is recent and, in a way, ongoing, as I only graduated this year. Having been part of ETH as a student and engaging in many extracurricular activities such as the Swissloop project, I can articulate some of the issues that I believe can be addressed through the ETH Circle. During my time in the US, it came to my attention that ETH was not that well known there. When I came back to Switzerland with this in mind, I also noticed that this knowledge was lacking even here – this is a clear disconnect that needs addressing.

I see the ETH Circle as a group of people dedicated to thinking about this. In addition, because they are an eclectic group with different backgrounds and careers, they are the right people to engage, and they have the potential to have meaningful impact.

As a recent graduate, ambassadorship of ETH through the ETH Circle appeals to me. But the measure of happiness of students at ETH, their satisfaction over their time of study and then leveraging them as alumni needs to be looked at. I suggest that we engage with students much earlier. We should make sure they leave with a sense of appreciation and connection that has been nurtured via their experience on campus, engagement with the alumni community, and special moments created to celebrate students’ achievements.

I think this missing appreciation has to do with legacy – and involving students in these projects gives them legitimacy. They want to feel connected to ETH and create their own memories, and the ETH Circle can help connect interested students with mentors in our group and supporters in the institution to take projects forward, and make them a reality.