Prestigious Swiss university sacks ‘bullying’ professor
One of Switzerland’s top universities has followed through on its threat to sack a professor following allegations of bullying.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
The request to fire a professor from the former Institute for Astronomy at Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) has been accepted, the ETH Board communicatedExternal link on Monday.
The ETH Board, which oversees the ETH Zurich and its sister institution EPFL, made the decision after “a thorough examination of the facts of the case”.
This marks the first occasion in the ETH Zurich’s history that a professor has been dismissed from their post, according to the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.
ETH Zurich had criticised the female professor’s leadership style and on Monday said the university was committed to the policy of “respectful interaction with one another”. The professor’s days at ETH Zurich had looked to be numbered when an investigation into her behaviour recommended last November to terminate her employment.
The unnamed professor, who founded the university’s Institute for Astronomy with her husband in 2002, had been accused of subjecting students to condescending requests and late-night badgering about minor issues, according to the NZZ am Sonntag, which broke the story.
The alleged bullying, which came to light in February 2017 following allegations by several doctoral students, extends back more than ten years.
Last week, two external investigations cleared the ETH Zurich of accusations concerning governance, funding and gender bias. But one report made some recommendations for improvements in the processes for fund allocation and top appointments.
ETH Zurich says it has learned the its lessons and has tightened up protocols for the future supervision of doctorate students.
More
More
ETH Zurich acts over bullying
This content was published on
Switzerland’s leading university has moved to dismiss a professor accused of bullying and pledged wide-ranging measures to tackle the issue.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
Police arrest 15 drug dealers in Verbier in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Swiss and French police have arrested 15 suspected drug dealers operating in the mountain resort of Verbier in southern Switzerland.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
ETH Zurich acts over bullying
This content was published on
Switzerland’s leading university has moved to dismiss a professor accused of bullying and pledged wide-ranging measures to tackle the issue.
ETH Zurich moves to fire professor accused of bullying
This content was published on
A professor from the former Institute for Astronomy at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich is set to be dismissed.
This content was published on
A quarter of doctoral students at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich say they are treated badly by their academic supervisors.
This content was published on
Some of the colleagues of a professor couple facing bullying allegations at the ETH Zurich have written an open letter of support.
University bullying case brings ‘professor power’ into question
This content was published on
The alleged bullying ranges back more than ten years, raising concerns that professors might enjoy too much power at Swiss universities. The allegations centre on an unnamed female professor who set up the university’s Institute for Astronomy with her husband in 2002. She is accused of subjecting numerous students to late-night badgering on minor issues,…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.