In this special post for the ETH Ambassadors blog, we bring you an op-ed by political scientist and artist Lisa Yasko. She is a Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, the Founder of the NGO Yellow Blue Strategy, and currently serves as ETH Advisor for Public Policy Initiatives.

The World No Longer Has the Right Tools to Respond to Threats 

As a Ukrainian parliamentarian, a mother, and a political scientist, I have personally lived the consequences of how international systems fail to protect the most vulnerable. When our security institutions are too slow or simply incapable in practice to act, when international justice is paralysed, and when outdated rules of political institutions cannot respond to new threats, the results can be catastrophic. Technologies and critical infrastructure — energy grids, digital networks, railways, even defense systems — can collapse overnight. And yet, while our systems break down, decisions are made at a pace of months or years, when what we need are answers within hours or days.

Resilience Is Crucial to Deal With Crises

One Ukrainian military pilot told me a story I will never forget.

“My helicopter was hit during a search-and-rescue mission. I had three to five seconds to decide on a safe landing. If I had hesitated even three seconds longer, we would all have died.”

He looked at me and added:

“This is what I want to tell global leaders: stop hesitating. You have only a small window left to avert disaster… Decide. Act.” 

His words capture a truth leaders in many areas today need to hear: in times of crisis, hesitation can lead to grave consequences. 

Why Democracies Struggle

Democracies are in crisis. Around the world, polarisation is deepening, hate speech is growing and democratic systems are slow to respond. The question is urgent: How can free societies, burdened by bureaucracy and political races, meet the demands of fast-moving crises? Too often, the answer has been too late. I believe this isn’t just a problem for Ukraine. It is a challenge for the entire global order — from cyberattacks and pandemics, to climate disasters and wars. To survive, democracies must evolve. Technology evolves faster (and hence, shapes society faster) than policy can respond to it.

So maybe we can be creative and combine it? We need new ways of thinking, new tools for leadership, and new connections between science, technology, and governance.

Defining a Global Policy Mindset

The solution lies in what is possible to call a global policy mindset:

The ability of leaders, institutions, and societies to make rapid, ethical decisions in a hyper-connected world — integrating technology, security, and democracy to confront crises in real time.

In my opinion, a global policy mindset requires the following: 

Speed – the capacity to act decisively when every second matters.

Ethics – ensuring decisions are rooted in moral leadership, ensuring that decision-makers consider long term consequences. 

Technology – harnessing innovation to strengthen resilience rather than deepen division. This requires knowledge of science and technology and their ability to create impact.  

International Cooperation – because no country can face today’s crises alone and we are too interconnected. I care deeply about public policy, both in practice and academically: I hold degrees in public policy and political science, and I have been an elected politician for six years. I believe that it is possible to invest in developing the necessary mindset that would be capable of meeting global challenges. And this is where academic institutions must lead: to train the skills and knowledge needed for developing a global policy mindset.

Why ETH Can Lead This Change

This is precisely where institutions like ETH come into play. By advancing cutting-edge scientific thought and fostering resilient leadership, ETH can actually make a big difference in public policy education that answers the needs of our current reality. I want to emphasise that I believe in the role of ETH mainly because I perceive this institution as caring not only about the past, but a lot about the present and the future; this involves not only studying history, but also forward-looking science, technology, security and policy. In addition, its unique geographic location in Zurich, Switzerland, and its track record of cooperation with international organisations and global partners, puts ETH in a special position. It would be hard to find another similar institution with such an approach, ideally positioned for developing a global policy mindset in the leaders of tomorrow.

If you enjoyed this post, join us for the next ETH Global Lecture on Improving Public Policy Through Science with former Swiss Federal Chancellor Walter Thurnherr and ETH Professor Tobias Schmidt, moderated by Julie Cantalou.

Date: Tuesday 7 October, 17:30-18:30

Location: HG F30 Audimax, Rämistrasse 101

Registration is required: for more details and to register visit https://u.ethz.ch/arC0x