I work with many contacts at ETH, primarily on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI). I strive to work with the best people, hence why I like to work with ETH students and researchers. I also like to recruit ETH students and alumni as they belong to the best talent when it comes to attitude and skills.

I see a lot of potential with the ETH Circle. If we can leverage the globally connected network of ETH, this will add a lot of value. We need to act as ambassadors and point out, that ETH as an institution is unique. I would love for us to be able to coordinate how we position and talk about ETH, for example when it comes to branding and working with global media sources.

Another opportunity I see is to partner more closely with industry and the private sector. If students get hands-on experience in companies and start-ups, they will have a better understanding of what their options are and what to aim for.

We should also cultivate the pride we have for ETH. As an ETH Alumnus, I am happy to promote the university wherever I can, and we all could show our pride much more than this is currently done. When I was deciding where to go study, I was told that ETH ranks among the best universities in the world. This is still true today, and I want to be able to share this story and to attract global talent.

To take these questions forward, I have been thinking about how to connect all of our ambassadors beyond the usual events or Zoom calls, especially in the current context: We could create a virtual space, in such a way that we can collaborate using the latest presence technologies. I am a big virtual reality fan. I have installations both at home and in my office, in such a way that I surround myself in a sphere of screens or that I delve into fully immersive spaces via VR glasses. Why not explore this within our group?

I welcome ETH’s ambition to invest more in AI research. We need to keep pace with the global competition and shape the direction of the field. It’s the future, and it forces us to work in a transdisciplinary fashion. Europe should be a part of the race for AI, being the epicenter for AI can be a role that ETH is excellently positioned to play.