In an era of turbulence, policymakers and scientists must collaborate to strengthen multilateralism and rebuild trust in science. At the UN-ETH Forum, UN policymakers and ETH researchers came together to drive this agenda forwards.

On 20-21 October 2025, ETH Zurich hosted the inaugural UN-ETH Forum, a two-day conference held under the theme “Science and Policy in Turbulent Times.” The event assembled policymakers, practitioners, and researchers from both institutions and beyond. Panels and workshops across three thematic tracks – Strengthening Global Peace and Security, Ensuring Responsible Digitalization, Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals – explored how science and policy can work together to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Forum is part of the UN-ETH Partnership, which was launched in October 2023. At the opening plenary of the Forum, Professor Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, and Guy Ryder, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy, reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening collaboration between their organisations and underscored the urgency of this task.

Over the past two years, the Partnership has moved from intention to action, with several new programmes having been created and launched. The UN-ETH Incubator, a programme that sources use cases from UN teams and pairs them with relevant ETH research groups, was launched earlier this year. Five new project-based collaborations were presented at the Forum, along with six additional proposals from the Incubator showcased at a dedicated poster session. 

Another important programme is the UN-ETH Student Team, an extra-curricular initiative that connects ETH students with UN practitioners to collaborate on real-world projects. Launched in summer 2025, it has already initiated one project – a data-analysis platform developed in collaboration with the UN Digital Library – and is preparing to launch two more. 

The Forum attracted considerable interest. Policymakers and practitioners from UN agencies headquartered in New York, Rome, Quito, and Addis Ababa joined counterparts from the Swiss government and from Swiss-based institutions. From the scientific community, early-career researchers from ETH Zurich, Cambridge, King’s College London, and several Swiss universities participated in the debates and presented their latest findings—spanning topics such as food security, artificial intelligence in mental health, and sustainable urban development.

A highlight of the event was the level of interest and engagement of students and young researchers. Members of the UN-ETH Student Team hosted a session with UN and ETH representatives to showcase how students can get involved and what to expect from working at the science-policy interface. Workshops such as the one led by the Swiss Delegation to the FAO World Food Forum Youth Assembly further underlined the importance of youth engagement in shaping sustainable futures. Overall, the UN-ETH Forum helped build momentum for new and ongoing collaborations, forged fresh ties between science and policy communities, and created a strong sense of common purpose. Moving from intention to action to impact, we are all curious to see what the newly initiated collaborations will deliver.  

To find out more about the UN-ETH Partnership and get involved, visit the “Engage” tab at https://un-eth.ethz.ch

Get to know the Center for Security Studies at https://css.ethz.ch/en/

It all started with a tiny chip making its way into the biology laboratory and into my curiosity as a bioengineer: a microfluidic chip. This small device manipulates fluids through microscopic channels. Within this chip, I cultured human cells under flow and pressure, giving life to an organ-on-a-chip. This technology mimics the functions of an organ in the body. From 2018 to 2023, I developed these in vitro (cell-based) models, which, alongside in silico (computer-simulated) models, have the potential to address certain research questions without requiring the use of animals. In Switzerland, animal studies are permitted only when no suitable alternative exists. For me, advancing such alternative methods felt like pursuing sustainability in the life sciences by seeking innovative, ethical, and responsible solutions for both research and animals.

Working at the 3Rs interface today, I design training concepts so that Replace, Reduce, Refine becomes a routine principle for the use of animals in research. The role brings me into conversation with researchers, regulators, and the public sphere, and has confirmed a truth I already sensed as a non-animal method developer: evidence matters, but rules, incentives, and societal values often determine whether good ideas and promising technologies truly take root. Navigating this multi-actor landscape sparked my curiosity about how evidence informs decisions, and how technology and policy can jointly shape more sustainable futures. This curiosity inspired a personal initiative to enrol in the continuing education programme CAS ETH in Technology and Public Policy: Policy Process in Spring 2025.

When the programme began, I immediately delved into a rich module in political science. I started to understand how decisions take shape across different levels, mapping Swiss, European, and global governance, and revealing how policies are made. I could connect the dots in the context of drug testing on animal models, reflecting on how Swissmedic (Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products), the EMA (European Medicines Agency), and the WHO (World Health Organization) function and intersect. This perspective now helps me identify where to monitor international developments and regulatory changes.

As the programme unfolded, I found myself exploring sectors far beyond health, such as mobility and energy. I could recognise familiar patterns in how technology, society, markets, and the state interact. Why do some innovations flourish while others stall? I realised that context, incentives, and beliefs, especially in ethically charged topics like animal use in research, often set the pace. A class on long-term socio-technical transitions gave me a new lens to recognise the signs of change: how technological, social, and institutional shifts gradually align before a transformation truly unfolds. This was an eye-opener, helping me analyse the ongoing adoption of alternative technologies to animal models and reminding me that change often builds quietly, long before it becomes visible.

These lessons resonate in my daily work, where I see firsthand how change is cumulative and built through many small steps by dedicated minds and hands driven by a commitment to more humane science. Thanks to the programme’s focus on stakeholder engagement and communication, I’ve refined how to listen, analyse, and translate between communities: technology developers, end-users, policymakers, and the wider public – each with its own hopes, language, and pace.

One of my favourite parts of the programme was designing a public participation process on animal use in research. It challenged me to think not just as a scientist or educator, but as a facilitator of dialogue. Together with my peers, we imagined a deliberative space where citizens and experts could learn from one another, carefully considering transparency, expectations, and power dynamics. The key takeaway stayed with me: participation should be a two-way learning journey, not a technocratic exercise.

Reflecting on this step into the policy world, I highly value the CAS as an enabler for understanding how technology and policy interact in a world where both technological breakthroughs and sustainability challenges grow increasingly complex. Just as in biomedical and health research, many areas of public policy today are deeply shaped by scientific and technical knowledge, calling for more “bilinguals” who can navigate both worlds with fluency and empathy. I see such interdisciplinary learning as essential to help close the loop between discovery and society, fostering evidence-informed dialogue and strengthening our collective ability to understand options and make thoughtful choices.

How can science make policy more effective? What is science diplomacy? How can policymakers engage with academia?

These are the questions explored by the ETH Policy Fellowship, which also reflect the mission of the future School of Public Policy, which ETH will launch next week. Science strengthens policy by grounding decisions in evidence and reducing uncertainty. Science diplomacy uses research and collaboration as tools to build trust and address global challenges across borders. In the spirit of knowledge transfer in the service of society, ETH Zurich aims to bridge the gap between researchers and policymakers through programmes such as the ETH Policy Fellowship, thereby helping them to address societal challenges through sustainable, effective, and evidence-​informed solutions. As Marco puts it:

“Now more than ever, we need strong bridges between science and policy – this programme helps to build them.”

More information about our Policy Fellowship programme can be found here: https://policy.ethz.ch/en/policymakers/policy-fellowship.html

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

Benedikt Knüsel reflects on different stages of his career. He is convinced that ETH Zurich should become even more active in the science-policy interface.

I vividly remember my confusion during my days as a Bachelor’s student over a decade ago when learning about climate policy. While scientists kept emphasizing that temperature targets like the 1.5°C or the 2°C target were set not by scientific but by political standards, I heard politicians say that these policy targets had not been set by policymakers but by scientists. My strong interest in science, policy, and how they interact, had drawn me to pursue a degree in environmental sciences at ETH in the first place. But this confusion over climate targets really intrigued me and made me want to understand how science and policy do and should relate to each other.

That moment proved crucial for the choices I made along my professional journey. I actively sought to work at the intersection of science and policy, and every opportunity provided important insights into the complex interplay between these two worlds. 

First, I had the chance to dive deeper into questions around science and human values during my time as a doctoral student in philosophy of science. I also learned to think in a structured way about how decision-makers use often incomplete scientific information to decide on a course of action – given the uncertainty inherent in the situation. I then went to work for government and gained first-hand experience of how policymakers influence directions in research. At the same time, I also learned how government aims to protect the autonomy of research institutions and the academic freedom of researchers. Finally, in my current position at ETH Zurich, I could launch initiatives to create networks between research and policymaking at all levels, and support ETH members in contributing to evidence-informed policies. 

Together, these experiences have helped me understand why – despite extensive evidence regarding certain societal issues like climate change or biodiversity loss – there may still be a mismatch between the evidence available and the evidence required by policymakers. At the same time, these experiences in an academic and in a government setting also helped me grasp the value of informal networks between scientists and policymakers as a foundation for successful collaborations between the two. A simple informal phone call between a scientist and a policymaker who know and trust each other can go a long way in terms of policy advice – an experience I made both in my current role at ETH as well as in my previous role in government. 

Based on this professional journey, I strongly believe there are three reasons why it is imperative that we at ETH Zurich stablish a better science-policy interface: 

1. The role of scientific experts in policymaking should be strengthened. Now more than ever, I am convinced that it is vital that science supports society in making important decisions, informed by the best available information. This is particularly important in times of increasing disinformation, especially in a country with a strong direct-democratic tradition like Switzerland.

2. This is particularly important for technical universities like ETH. With technologies evolving rapidly, society must find ways to govern them responsibly: protecting people’s safety while enabling innovation and progress. And many of the greatest challenges we face, from climate change and biodiversity loss to new pathogens, require policy responses that are realistic about the potential and limits of technology. Hence, universities like ETH need to invest in interdisciplinary collaborations between researchers focusing on policy and researchers focusing on technologies. 

3. Switzerland should play a special role in strengthening global science-policy interfaces. Policy advice and strong collaborations between science and policy and diplomacy are needed not only at the local and national level, but also internationally. In times of increasing geopolitical tensions, Switzerland can bring about a lot of positive change in the world and establish particularly thanks to its neutrality, its tradition as a convening power, and its excellent scientific institutions. 

In short, in an age of rapid technological change and complex societal challenges, strengthening the relationship between science and policy is not optional — it’s essential for maintaining public trust and making better collective decisions.

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