logo
logo logo
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Topics
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Climate Change
      • Food
      • Quantum
      • Robotics
      • Machine Learning
      • Innovation in Architecture
      • Future of Work
      • Mathematics
      • Smart Cities
      • Sustainable Development Goals
      • Sports
      • Geography
      • Information Technology
      • Engineering
    • Projects
      • [y]our 2040
      • RETHINKING LIVING
      • togETHer
      • ETH Studios
      • ETH4Development
      • Summer School
      • Exchange Programme
      • Events
    • Regions
      • North America
      • Latin America
      • Asia-Pacific
      • South Asia
      • Europe
      • Africa
  • Subscribe!
  • Contact
  • GYSS 2023: Getting Inspired by Nobel Laureates
    Fostering the Next Generation of Women in Computer Science
    Rethinking the Future University
    ETH Zurich at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos – a Review by Chris Luebkeman
    SpaceHopper’s Cosmic Leap at Techfest IIT Bombay
logo logo
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Topics
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Climate Change
      • Food
      • Quantum
      • Robotics
      • Machine Learning
      • Innovation in Architecture
      • Future of Work
      • Mathematics
      • Smart Cities
      • Sustainable Development Goals
      • Sports
      • Geography
      • Information Technology
      • Engineering
    • Projects
      • [y]our 2040
      • RETHINKING LIVING
      • togETHer
      • ETH Studios
      • ETH4Development
      • Summer School
      • Exchange Programme
      • Events
    • Regions
      • North America
      • Latin America
      • Asia-Pacific
      • South Asia
      • Europe
      • Africa
  • Subscribe!
  • Contact
How we reflect togETHer UncategorizedJanuary 7, 2021

Rethinking Living

ETH Pavilion Davos 2020

by Jürg Brunnschweiler, Head of Office of the President, 7 Januray 2021

It feels like ages… but it was only a year ago that life was truly very different. My team and I were in the final preparations for our annual ETH Meets Davos flagship event. RETHINKING Creativity was the theme of the exhibition in the ETH Pavilion in Davos, during the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2020. If we had only known how much creativity all of us soon would need in dealing with what became an unimaginably difficult year…

But first, we went to Davos to make particles dance, demystify quantum, explore the interface between science, technology and art, and investigate creativity more broadly. I remember that it was during those beautiful days up in the Swiss mountains that I started reading about the outbreak of a new virus in China on CNN. Not yet worried too much by the news, I was looking forward to my annual escape to Fiji right after Davos. It was on the flight from San Francisco to Fiji when I started to realize that what was coming, was closer and coming sooner than I thought: all the Fijian cabin crew wore face masks. A sight that is now part of everyday life. While playing with sharks in Fiji, worrying news started to pile up from around the globe, including Switzerland. I barely made it home before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020. ETH closed, and we all started working from home. Schools and (almost) everything else shut down. And many aspects of life really changed, came to an almost standstill.

The first few weeks and months in crisis modus were actually quite exciting. Life needed to be reorganized, new routines had to be established, one had to find new ways to get common things done. Almost everything was postponed. It was spring, and then summer in Zurich. Life wasn’t that bad, just different. I say this fully aware of my privileged situation, and knowing that there were many people suffering severely from the situation.

However, it wasn’t before long the realization kicked in that things were not just different or postponed for a few months, but most likely for a very long time. Life would never be the same again. I started to miss certain things. At the Office of the President, we support and are responsible for projects, events and activities that increase the positive perception of ETH Zurich globally. We nurture an international community of stakeholders that contributes to enhancing the visibility of the institution at home and abroad. All of which largely relies on bringing a diverse group of people together in one place to experience ETH. At the Schiffbau in Zurich, at the Musikbrauerei in Berlin, at the National Sawdust in Brooklyn, in our RETHINKING Pavilion in Davos.

Berlin Science Week ETH event 2018
Enjoying the interactive exhibit of “Fun is the Future” during Berlin Science Week, November 2018 (photo credits: ETH Zurich/Nico Wöhrle)
Digital Festival 2018 Schiffbau Zürich
ETH Meets Digital Festival at the Schiffbau in Zurich, September 2018 (photo credit: ETH Zurich/Andreas Eggenberger)
ETH Meets New York 2018
ETH Meets New York at the National Sawdust in Brooklyn, June 2018 (photo credit: ETH Zurich)

All of that was 2020 and before. Today we are in the middle of a global pandemic that has forced us to change our daily life routines. Some of us are desperate to go back to their lives as they were before 2020. But as always, the future will look different from the past. We have decided to embrace the opportunity to rethink our way of living. RETHINKING Living not as a stand-alone exhibition like in previous years in Davos, but rather an overarching theme that will guide our outreach activities in the next two years. Stay tuned for more exciting news on how we will explore this topic during the course of 2021 and beyond.


Jürg Brunnschweiler ETH Zürich

About the author

Jürg Brunnschweiler is the Chief of Staff to the President of ETH Zurich and heads the Office of the President.

Previous Happy New Year 2021!
Next Validation from a virtual global experience at the 26th Youth Assembly

Related Posts

Students4Hospitals

April 23, 2020

Planted Foods AG: stocking up for more exciting times

April 28, 2020

Going digital and building capacity for the new normal in teaching

May 13, 2020

The Value of Learning from Practice: Discussing Medical Equipment with Professionals in Ghana and Kenya

November 17, 2022
  • Office of the President

    global.ethz.ch

  • Subscribe to our blog!

    Loading
© ETH Zurich Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect those of ETH Zurich. In addition, ETH Zurich is not responsible for the content of external links.