D-INFK news channel

Computer pioneer Niklaus Wirth died on 1 January 2024, just weeks before his 90th birthday. The long-​serving ETH Professor of Computer Science achieved world fame by developing the Pascal programming language in the 1970s. In 1984, he became the only German-​speaking computer scientist yet to have received the Turing Award, which is regarded as the Nobel Prize for computer science.

The Department of Computer Science is rapidly growing, and so is the number of its current sites. Being so fragmented and spread around the city, it can be difficult for department members to find a sense of belonging. Professor Kenny Paterson, the new Department Head, talks about the challenges but also opportunities he will face in this demanding role.

After two years as Department Head, Professor Timothy Roscoe is going back to business as usual – teaching and research. He reflects on his time running the department and the importance of having a positive outlook.

Professor Ueli Maurer was Director of Studies at the Department of Computer Science (D-INFK) from January 2020 to December 2021. In his farewell interview, he looks back on an intense but rewarding time.

Since June 2020, Professor Kenny Paterson has represented the Department of Computer Science in the Commission for Good Scientific Practice at ETH Zurich. In this interview, he talks about the role of scientists and scientific integrity in computer science.

In the last part of this video series, Niklaus Wirth tells us what doors the Turing Award opened for him and how he got one step closer to perfection with each programming language.

In this continuing conversation, Niklaus Wirth talks about the hurdles he had to overcome when introducing computer science to Switzerland and why the label "made in the USA" was absolutely necessary at the time.

1970, Prof. em. Niklaus Wirth developed the programming language Pascal and became world famous with it. In this conversation with Prof. em. Friedemann Mattern, Wirth talks about the beginnings of computer science and how he influenced them significantly.

Carl August Zehnder's work not only shaped the Department of Computer Science, but also the Swiss state and society. In this continuing conversation, the founder of D-INFK explains the benefits of associations, how not to lose touch in a fast-moving field and why openness is of great importance for computer scientists.

Professor emeritus Carl August Zehnder is one of the founders of the Department of Computer Science. In this video, he talks about how his research field developed out of practical necessity, the competitive pressure against other departments, and the importance of infrastructure at ETH Zurich.

Professor emeritus Walter Gander was a strong advocate for computer science since the 80s. He was committed to independent computer science teaching in Swiss schools, supported women in CS and participated in development projects abroad. In the second part of this interview, Walter Gander tells us about his work as head of department, his long-term book projects and how copy & paste was done in the 80s.

Prof. em. Walter Gander helped Switzerland acquire a high-performance computer, promoted the implementation of e-mail at ETH Zurich, and wrote the first book using LaTeX. In this interview with Lukas Fässler, high above the rooftops of Zurich, he talks about the beginnings of the Department of Computer Science and about a career that stretched from St. Gallen to Hong Kong.

Forty years ago, ETH Zurich launched its computer science degree programme. However, the history of computer science at ETH began even earlier. Our professor emeritus Carl August Zehnder reveals how he and the other founders of the department fought for their own degree programme.

At the end of his two-year term as Head of the Department of Computer Science, Professor David Basin looks back on a turbulent time and explains how running a department has helped him better understand the inner workings of ETH Zurich.

As Director of Studies, Professor Ueli Maurer is responsible for teaching at the Department of Computer Science. When ETH Zurich discontinued all classroom teaching on March 16, he, too, was faced with the challenge of ensuring that the department’s more than 1'000 Bachelor's and Master's students could continue their studies.

Professor Peter Müller, the retiring Director of Studies of the Department of Computer Science, looks back on two and a half years in office and takes stock. In this interview, he talks about the highlights of his job and how teaching has changed at D-INFK.

After two and a half years as the Head of the Department of Computer Science, Professor Emo Welzl is stepping down. In a wide-ranging interview, the outgoing Department Head talks about the future of computer science, the balance between theory and practice, and the importance of appointing new professors.

Professor emeritus Carl August Zehnder recounts the early history of computer science in Switzerland that lead first to the creation of a computer science curriculum and finally to the founding of the Department of Computer Science in 1981. (German)

Prof. Jürg Gutknecht built up numerous partnerships and ventured into areas such as computer-​aided art. As university professor and head of the Computer Science Department, he was influential in the educational establishment and growth of the department. Today, as an advocate for informatics in schools, Prof. Gutknecht’s main concern is to raise the level of awareness of computer literacy as a skill of the contemporary world.