Our Focus Topics
The needs in the department vary in time, and so does our focus topic for every semester. Before the start of a new semester, we convocate a strategy meeting to which everyone in the department is invited and where we democratically choose which area needs our support. Up to date, we have been working on:
Events
Towards empathy: meet Israel-Palestine peace activists Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin
16/10/2024
Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin are friends, peace activists, and part of the Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum. As the WIDE book club “From Pages to Changes” is reading the novel Apeirogon, based on their lives, we were delighted to welcome the two inspiring speakers to ETH Zurich and learn from their testimonies. Together, we strive towards perspectives for peace, justice, and dialogue to jointly overcome fear and hate.
Assertive Communication Workshop for Women
05/11/2024
While women are frequently encouraged to “be more assertive,” the support and guidance on how to achieve that assertiveness effectively are often lacking. This workshop led by external page Alessandra Patti provided a hands-on approach that empowers women to communicate with confidence and clarity, particularly in environments where assertiveness is essential.
Political Philosophy of the City Workshop
by Tea Lobo, postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of Practical Philosophy
26.09.2024
This workshop explored the city as a subject of political philosophy, examining how urban life shapes collective well-being and justice. Participants discussed recent works by Jonathan Wolff, Avner de Shalit, and Shane Epting, alongside their own research, covering topics like feminism, urbanism in the Global South, and AI in city planning.
The topics that we discuss in events like these might trigger strong emotions, they might even have a re-traumatizing effect. We cannot know exactly which experiences every single one of us has had in the past, and how we might react to the discussion. Rather than not addressing these emotions because we are afraid of them, we would like to provide a framework of mutual care, where we look out for each other so that nobody feels left alone with their feelings after the event.
For this reason we invited a professional mental health trainer, coach, and consultant as a low-key back-up support.
From Pages to Changes is a book club initiative by WIDE and SWiSH, open to all D-GESS members.
external page Apeirogon is the picked read for Autumn 2024, a novel that explores the lives of Rami and Bassam.
Missed this edition? No worries! Invitations for upcoming Book Club seasons will be emailed to all D-GESS members. Join us next time!
Working Conditions (Spring 2024)
Events
Being a Woman in Academia
08/03/2024
In the occasion of Internation Women Day, Dr Monika Wulz and Dr Elena Valdameri offered an insightful presentation on he topic of "Being a Woman in Academia". They presented important concepts such as the leaky pipeline or the glass ceiling as well as their personal experience in their careers. The presentation was followed by a lunch and a non-mixed Women Circle, where we shared our own experiences.
Compatibility of Work and Family Life
18/04/2024
During this lunch event Frédéric Allain, Professor at D-BIOL and co-head of the NCCR RNA and Disease, and Vanessa Weber de Melo from EAWAG, offered a presentation which gave us insights on the support measures for compatibility of work and family life at their respective departments or institutions.
Drawing from these examples, we discussed wishes and perspectives for compatibility of work and family life at D-GESS.
Resources
Events
Mental Health Day
25/11/2023
From morning to evening we had a day filled speeches, panel discussions and table talks around the topic of mental health. From addressing the unique challenges faced in academia to promoting responsible use of power. We also covered mental health first aid strategies for empowerment and building a sustainable individual and institutional health.
Mental Health First Aid Course for Professors
19/01/2024
This was a one day webinar for professors at D-GESS. The content of the course included learning the basics of mental health disorders, and practicing practical first aid measures in case of problems and crises. The professors who participated got a first aider certificate after passing a final exam.
Resources
- external page Mental Health First Aid Courses (ensa)
- MeWell Community Zurich - Improve mental wellbeing in academia
- Tips for dealing with internal stressors
- external page Researcher Mental Health Observatory (ReMO)
- Download Researcher Mental Health and Well-being Manifesto (ReMO 2021) (PDF, 165 KB)
- Results of the WiegETHs? survey (only GE)
- Mental Health of Graduate Students sorely overlooked (Forrester 2017)
- Download Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students (Levecque 2017) (PDF, 863 KB)
- external page What are your main drivers?
- external page 52 Ways to Stay Well: During your PhD, post-doc or research career
- external page ZEIT Campus Ratgeber Mental Health
Multimedia
Events
WIDEr Teaching Week
8-12 May 2023
A week full of events focusing on Well-Being, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Teaching. Together with the other departimental associations, we hosted Workshops, Panel Discussions and Get-Togethers. Check out the full program: Download WIDEr Teaching Week Program (PDF, 81 KB)
Resources
- Download ABC of Inclusion in Teaching (Lecturers’ Conference – KdL – ETH) (PDF, 107 KB)
- external page Documentation on anonymized submission via Moodle (only GE)
- Refresh Teaching “Oral exams – making them valid and fair”
- Refresh Teaching “Continuous assessment"
- Refresh Teaching “Graded and ungraded semester performances”
- Refresh Teaching “Prior knowledge”
- Continuing education in university teaching (ETH)
- Didactica (ETH/UZH)
- external page Database of teaching tools (UZH)
- Download Structure Matters: Twenty-One Teaching Strategies to Promote Student Engagement and Cultivate Classroom Equity (Tanner 2013)
The >Information on Performance Assessments at D-GESS< is a comprehensive resource that reflects the collaborative efforts of the WIDE Group, GESS Who!, the LET and our department over an extended period of time. This document provides a thorough overview of all major policies, rules and regulations related to performance assessments within the department. It is a testament to the collaborative spirit of our academic community, having been unanimously approved by the Department Conference in December 2023.
