Summary

The ETH Board appointed a total of 19 new professors at the two leading Swiss universities in its meeting of March 4/5, 2026. The appointments included 7 women and 12 men. At the same time, 4 professor retirements were noted. In a twelve-month comparison, there is a balanced gender distribution in new appointments with a women's share of 51 percent.

Persons

Topics

  • Higher education policy
  • Gender parity in science
  • ETH Zurich and EPFL

Clarus Lead

The ETH Board appointed 19 new academic leaders at the two Swiss elite universities. The new appointments are distributed among 7 female professors and 12 male professors at ETH Zurich and EPFL. For university management, the quota of 51 percent women in new appointments compared year-over-year is an indicator of progress toward gender parity in senior academic positions.

Detailed Summary

The ETH Board appointed 19 new professors at the request of the presidents of both universities. The distribution shows a slight predominance of male candidates in this round (12 men, 7 women). Concurrently, 4 retirements were recorded – one female professor and three male professors.

In the broader context of the past 12 months, the ETH Board appointed a total of 51 new professors. With 26 women and 25 men, the two leading Swiss universities achieve near-parity gender distribution (51% women's share). This signals a deliberate diversification strategy at the academic leadership level.

Key Findings

  • 19 new appointments in the current session period (7 women, 12 men)
  • 51% women's share in new appointments in year-over-year comparison (26 women, 25 men)
  • 4 retirements of professors noted
  • Continuous implementation of gender parity in senior academic positions

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence: How are the 19 new appointments distributed between ETH Zurich and EPFL, and in which subject areas were the professors appointed?

  2. Data Quality: Is the 51% women's share in the year-over-year comparison influenced by different appointment cycles or retirement patterns, or does this represent a stable trend?

  3. Conflicts of Interest: Do appointment processes follow standardized diversity criteria, or can regional or institutional preferences influence gender distribution?

  4. Causality: Is the high women's share (51%) the result of targeted diversity policy or does it reflect the natural distribution of qualified female candidates in the applicant pool?

  5. Feasibility: How are the new professors integrated into existing structures, and are there mentoring programs for underrepresented groups?

  6. Side Effects: Could quota-based appointment practices lead to accusations of meritocracy violations, and how is this addressed in communications?

Sources

Primary Source: Press Release: 19 Professors Appointed at the Two ETH – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/w0vKNQzdKU_wjsqlcs_M1

Verification Status: ✓ March 5, 2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: March 5, 2026