ETH Zurich: More Students Take Physics

The electronics industry has been suffering from a talent shortage for years, and the chip shortage has exacerbated the educational challenge. In this back-to-school period, ETH Zurich, a public research university specializing in science and technology, has seen continued student interest in pursuing engineering courses and renewed interest in physics.

On Sept. 19, more than 20,000 bachelor’s and master’s students began their fall semester at ETH Zurich. The number of bachelor’s students has declined by almost 7%, from 3,319 in 2021 to 3,100 this year, but the university does not see a trend emerging.

In an e-mail discussion with EE Times Europe, Marianne Lucien, International Communications Officer at ETH Zurich, said, “The number of first-semester students has declined because many of them opted to start their studies earlier — rather than take a gap year — during the coronavirus pandemic. Now that travel opportunities have opened up, students are taking a gap year prior to entering university studies. We expect a significant increase again over the next few years.”

In Einstein’s footsteps

For the fall semester, ETH Zurich reported that natural sciences and engineering continue to be “highly popular” among new bachelor’s students. The mechanical engineering and computer science programs once again ranked highest with 529 (+2%) and 424 (–1%) new students, respectively.

Declines in enrollment are seen in architecture (–5%), civil engineering (–23%), and, contrary to social trends, in fields like health and sustainability (–15% overall). Looking at the raw figures, Lucien said, “It’s surprising to us as well, and we will further investigate this trend to better understand the reasons behind it.”

There is, however, a return to fundamental science knowledge. Physics has indeed experienced a year-over-year increase of about 12%, with 276 new students, and chemistry has increased by almost 25%, with 66 new students.

“We believe that in these uncertain times, students tend to choose programs that provide a solid foundation for a great variety of work areas,” said Lucien. “This is especially given for fundamental areas in science and engineering.”

Albert Einstein, an inspiration for ETH Zurich students? Possibly.

Albert Einstein started studying at ETH Zurich, which was then called the Zurich Polytechnic, in October 1896. He studied there for four years, focusing on physics and mathematics but also taking courses in literature and history.

In the Department of Physics at ETH Zürich, Albert Einstein (1879–1955) is immortalized in this bust by Hermann Hubacher. (Source: ETH Zürich)

Einstein returned to ETH Zurich in 1912 as a professor of theoretical physics and established the basis of his theory of relativity. The original documents from this period are kept in the university archives.

“Today’s physics is inconceivable without Einstein,” Lavinia Heisenberg, a professor at ETH’s Institute for Theoretical Physics, wrote in the ETH Community Magazine celebrating the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s Nobel Prize in Physics. “The general theory of relativity is central to our understanding of the world and of the cosmos.”

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