Former Swiss Federal Chancellor Thurnherr appointed ETH Professor

After serving as Federal Chancellor of the Swiss Confederation for eight years, Walter Thurnherr knows Swiss politics better than just about anyone. In October, this native of the Aargau, who studied theoretical physics at ETH Zurich, will return to his alma mater to become Professor of Practice at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences. He will teach ETH students more about Swiss politics while also supporting the establishment of a School of Public Policy at the university.

¡°ETH Zurich wants its researchers to cooperate more with policymakers as a way for the university to help solve social challenges.  With his many years of experience in diplomacy and politics as well as the network he has built up, Walter Thurnherr is the ideal person to assist us in transferring knowledge between academia and politics and administration at the national and international levels,¡± says Vanessa Wood, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations.

Seasoned veteran of federal politics

Thurnherr can look back on a long career in the Swiss Federal Administration: after working as a diplomat in Moscow, Bern and New York, he served as Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Economic Affairs and the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. In 2015, Thurnherr was elected Federal Chancellor of Switzerland, a position he held until the end of 2023.

¡°As Federal Chancellor, I was committed to improving mutual understanding between academia and politics. And that¡¯s what I¡¯m particularly keen to continue working on at ETH,¡± Thurnherr says.

Given his background, Thurnherr is a perfect fit for the profile of a Professor of Practice. Created in 2022, this role is open to managers from industry, the healthcare sector or public administration whose proven expertise and extensive experience puts them in a position to expand the range of practical courses and knowledge transfer at ETH Zurich.

School of Public Policy

Researchers at ETH Zurich already regularly put their expertise at the service of Swiss politics and administration. To support this exchange, ETH established a contact point for science policy engagement in 2022 and published corresponding guidelines. Thurnherr¡¯s appointment will see a further expansion of these activities.

To this end, a School of Public Policy is to be established at ETH Zurich by 2025, and Thurnherr will play a key role in setting it up. This new interdepartmental centre will pool policy-relevant research at the university, step up dialogue with policymakers at all levels and contribute to education and training in the field of policy analysis. ETH Zurich¡¯s aim is for this to help achieve the best possible policymaking for Switzerland.

The former Federal Chancellor says: ¡°We need to put in place more informal and institutional platforms to ensure that politicians have the scientific basis they need to make laws.¡± On the other hand, Thurnherr adds, researchers must respect the fact that politicians weigh up various interests and that the public ultimately decides by majority vote. ¡°I¡¯m convinced that this democratic process contributes to political stability,¡± he says.

Practical teaching on Swiss politics

Thurnherr will also be involved in teaching at ETH Zurich. He will give practical courses that familiarise students with the basic features of the Swiss political system. ¡°I want to show young scientists how government is conducted in Bern,¡± he says.

This programme will complement existing courses at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, which focus more strongly on social and political science debates and methods.