News & Events

In the CSS Annual Report 2024, you can read more about the main focuses and activities of CSS in a year in which an already profound geopolitical shift became more marked – with serious implications for global security.

Recent uncertainties regarding US intelligence sharing with Ukraine have highlighted Ukraine’s extensive reliance on US satellites. Europe, with its growing space capabilities, sees a chance to step in but is not yet ready to fill the gap. The situation served as a wake-up call for Europe, which also realized the extent of its own dependence on the US, prompting new efforts to develop space capabilities to serve defense needs.

US-China competition over semiconductors is reshaping the global technology landscape and supply chains. Europe faces unique challenges in navigating this environment but also holds significant strategic resources and capabilities in specialized segments of the chip industry. This analysis explores how Europe can leverage its niche strengths amid rising geopolitical pressure.

At the cyber competition Geneva Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2025, three ETH Zurich teams competed, including ISTP's MSc student Aïna Brudy with her team “Cyberia,” which made it to the Semifinals. Congratulations to all participants on their success!

A new study combines satellite images and deep learning to map slums in Africa’s major cities. It reveals strong slum growth in the urban periphery between 2016 and 2022. The findings allow timely and cost-effective slum monitoring and facilitate targeted interventions. 

NADEL's MAS programme combines studies at ETH Zurich with eight months on-the-job training at an international organization. Learn more at our info session on 15 May 2025 on Zoom.

Join the upcoming SiP Talk #12 on 19th of May 2025 with ISTP member Prof. Dr. Sonia I. Seneviratne on the topic "Why (not) Trust Politics and Climate Science? Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the ‘Crisis of Trust’"

Valerie Sticher and her co-author Aly Verjee argue that an international monitoring mission could bolster a ceasefire. But any new ceasefire faces serious challenges and will hold only if all parties heed the experience of past monitoring efforts in eastern Ukraine.

Technology and Public Policy (TPP) Alumnus Roman Welsing Shares his MAS TPP experience and how the TPP Programme Shaped his Career at the Intersection of Technology and Public Policy

As Earth’s orbits are increasingly congested, disputes over space traffic will erupt between operators. This Policy Perspective from Clémence Poirier makes the case for Switzerland to extend its facilitation efforts to space.

Foreign disinformation is a matter of significant concern in democracies. While the empirical evidence of its influence is more nuanced than many threat perceptions suggest, uncertainty in crucial domains complicates decision-making. An analysis of these uncertainties highlights the importance of fostering civil trust and maintaining proportionality in policies and discourse around disinformation.

The threat posed by potential attacks using biological (B) or chemical (C) weapons is real, and it is being exacerbated by the security situation. This requires states to enhance their preparedness, response, and investigation capabilities in the case of incidents involving these weapons. In this CSS Analysis Sophie Reiners states that reliable investigative mechanisms are necessary, with forensic methods playing a key role.

Monday, May 19, 2025, 18:15

Öffentlicher Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Galili Shahar

Ahead of the fourth UN-led Financing for Development Conference in early July, we take stock of the trajectory of impact investment to date and explore what role private capital might have on social development in the future.

When it comes to getting along together, trust plays an indispensable role. While we all have an intuitive grasp of what this interpersonal investment involves, even science struggles to express exactly how it works.

In our new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), we describe a microRNA-based mechanism that coordinates the scaling of inhibitory and excitatory synapses during homeostatic plasticity, with possible implications for sleep regulation. Colameo et al., PNAS 2025 Apr 8;122(14):e2500880122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2500880122.

Circular RNAs are a recently discovered class of non-coding RNAs and are highly expressed in mammalian neurons. In a new study published in Nature Communications, Kelly et al. identified a circular RNA which controls the formation of silent synapses, dormant neural connections that can be activated for memory formation. These findings increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity and memory.

Trust takes years to build and seconds to break – not least when it comes to international relations. ETH researchers investigate what it takes to build confidence on the global stage.

A global ranking of the research productivity of political science departments puts the CIS at the top of European departments per number of faculty members. 

Trust in AI models is about more than just technical performance – ethical principles and human values are equally important.

This workshop report written by several CSS experts summarizes the discussions and insights from a workshop organized by the Center for Security Studies. The event convened international experts in technology and economic security, alongside public and private sector practitioners, to assess risks and explore strategies for enhancing European resilience in global semiconductor supply chains.

ISTP Doctoral Candidate Florian Lichtin successfully defended his PhD thesis

In conversation with Fritz Brugger, Beatrice Maser Mallor discusses how the World Bank is adapting to address both poverty reduction and climate change. 

Strategic Trends, the annual flagship publication of the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich, examines in 2025 the pivotal forces and developments shaping global security, offering critical analysis of the challenges and opportunities in a world undergoing profound transformation.

Sport has reemerged as a tool for autocratic states to strengthen their legitimacy domestically and internationally. Qatar and Saudi Arabia, in particular, have invested heavily in sport and positioned state-linked figures in international sport organizations. Fabio Schmocker concludes in this CSS Analysis that while this strategy has increased the Gulf states’ global visibility, it has also drawn more attention to human rights issues.

A deepening rift in transatlantic relations has reignited debates on how to strengthen nuclear deterrence in Europe in the absence of credible US security guarantees. No exact alternatives exist or would even be desirable. In her CSS analysis, Névine Schepers argues that opportunities for enhanced strategic dialogue and cooperation with willing European allies could instead provide some reassurance and may shape further changes in doctrine and force posture in the long-term.

Katrin Sievert was named one of the top 30 young scientists working on climate change

How does disinformation impact public trust in science? And can healthy scepticism be a good thing? A debate between climate researcher Sonia Seneviratne, communication scientist Mike S. Schäfer and former Swiss Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr.

She is named one of the top 30 young scientists in the world working on climate change.

Öffentlicher Vortrag von Andreas Kilcher am 21. Mai 2025

Öffentlicher Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Andreas Kilcher am 14. Mai 2025

Meet Yilin Huang, a recent graduate of the STP Master’s program. She began her studies in autumn 2021, minoring in Resources and Environment. Before beginning her Master’s, she completed a bachelor’s degree in materials engineering from the University of Toronto, in Canada. In this interview, Yilin shares her experience during an internship at the United Nations, where she worked with the Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

A new study by NADEL’s Professor Isabel Günther, Dr Kenneth Harttgen, and Dr Dario Meili from ETH Zurich’s Development Economics Group reveals that traditional measures of gender and ethnic disparities overlook key inequalities in education. 

Unipolar and bipolar depression are often misdiagnosed, hampering medical treatment. In a recent paper published in EMBO Reports, we describe a microRNA signature in human peripheral blood which distinguishes bipolar from unipolar depression patients. Studies in mice further revealed an important function of these microRNAs in the brain. Our results could pave the way towards the translation of microRNA biomarkers to clinical practice in psychiatry.

Invited talk “Inequality by design: Music streaming taxonomies as ruinous infrastructure” by Raquel Campos Valverde (University of Leeds), 2025-03-11, 10:30, ETH Zurich, Social Networks Lab, room WEP H 11.

In a new edition of the CSS Policy Perspectives, Fabian Hofmann describes the ethical challenges associated with digital peacebuilding. He argues that Switzerland can take a leading role in establishing ethical standards for AI in peace and conflict resolution.

NADEL's Dr Kenneth Harttgen has co-authored a new paper on anemia risk among children and women in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Technology and Public Policy (TPP) Alumnus Boris Inderbitzin Shares how the TPP Programme Shaped his Career at the Intersection of Technology and Public Policy

Tianze Zhang, MSc in Computational Social Science, joins as a doctoral student for a project on Social Networks and Cultural Consumption in the Digital Age, supervised by Prof. Christoph Stadtfeld. Welcome to the SN-LAB!

Colloquium starts on March 5, 2025.

The MAS ETH Mediation in Peace Processes (MAS ETH MPP) program has introduced a series of multimedia tools designed to help mediators worldwide refine their skills and make peace processes more effective.

A new study analyzes the relationship between socioeconomic inequalities and local crimes rates in South Africa. It finds a particularly strong association of higher income inequality and racial heterogeneity with increased rates of violent crime. 

Apply now until 21 March 2025!

The ISTP is looking for a new team member for its Communication Activities!

In this newly published book, negotiators and scholars join forces to identify how ceasefires and political negotiations intersect and when and how ceasefires work to promote peace. Case studies cover conflicts in Bosnia, Burundi, Colombia, Darfur, El Salvador, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sudan North/South, and Syria.

Congratulations to both Erwin Lefoll and Leopold Peiseler on successfully defending their PhD theses!

Switzerland has been actively involved in military peace support in the Western Balkans since the 1990s. It has gradually taken on more responsibility and is now respected, both locally and internationally, as a security producer. Despite the improved security situation, geopolitics and poor governance make political solutions difficult to achieve. A continued presence remains in Switzerland’s interests.

Europe faces geopolitical challenges and economic difficulties. Drawing inspiration from three influential reports, the EU has put science, technology, and innovation (STI) at the forefront of its plans to drive growth and advance strategic autonomy. This promises significant changes to the continent’s STI sector.