ROI or Return On Individuals: What ETH does for society

The investment: knowledge transfer for future generations

Education figures soar high as Switzerland's Federal Council took an impacting decision on the country’s investments in 2012. 26.4 billion Swiss francs were budgeted for education, research and innovation over a four-year period to retain the country’s top position in the academic arena. Such a strong focus on knowledge generation prompts the question: Does the investment add up? Numbers show: It does. In international rankings ETH Zurich counts as a leading institution and holds its place among the best universities in the world.

Yet first-class education should not hide behind the mighty walls of academia. It needs to serve a purpose and align with a vision. ETH Zurich continuously strives to foster a culture of outreach by maintaining close-knit relationships with institutions and centers within Switzerland and beyond. The goal is to sustain a give-and-take ecosystem in which intellectual growth is stimulated and empowers society at large:
"[ETH] promotes science and scientific activity for their own sakes, as well as for their necessity in the near and distant context: the city and canton of Zurich, Switzerland, Europe, and the world. ETH Zurich consciously directs its endeavors towards the needs of human beings, society, and nature. It is aware that knowledge and skills must be grounded in a fundamentally open and dynamic attitude if they are to be truly effective in practical life and destined for growth." (ETH Zurich mission statement)

Human capital: education's prime resource

Embracing the future means valuing individuals and their vocation as an irreplaceable resource for the development of business, industry, and society. Since its establishment, ETH has taken great care in securing prospective generations of talented scientists. But how to spark off inspiration for the sciences in today's young generation? The answer is clear: make knowledge accessible and arouse curiosity.

The mindset of an open-door policy towards youth has ignited numerous initiatives between ETH employees and society. All follow this goal: To provide a cognitive playground that stimulates the progress of self-awareness and lets individuals discover their inherent abilities and talents. One remarkable initiative on honorary basis is the Laboratory for Children, "Kinderlabor", founded by the chemist and teacher Dr. Petra Adamaszek and ETH computer science professor Bernd Gärtner.

The initiative aims at encouraging children between the age of four and twelve years to learn about computer science as well as physics and chemistry. The motivation to promote the sciences at an early age stemmed from the recognition that primary school children of both genders are still very open to MINT subjects (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology), while in secondary school, gender-specific role models become dominant. At the same time, inspiring environments for young learners were either scarce, or not sufficiently accessible to children or teachers.

The result was apparent: MINT disciplines lacked a new generation of students. Thus the Kinderlabor set out to counteract the dwindling numbers. As Prof. Gärtner states: "Children want to learn and experiment. When a child says to you: 'When I'm older, I want to become a researcher', and pursues that dream, you know you have given them a chance to discover their vocation. On the same note, business and industry call for new talents". Today, the Kinderlabor is active in a number of fields. For instance, it is present at Treffpunkt Science City, a public event hosted by ETH Zurich. The aim in computer science is for children to develop basic programming skills in ways suitable to their age and level of understanding. An example is "Scratch", a programming language which helps young learners think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively. This hands-on approach promotes experimental and analytic skills and boosts children's self-confidence and joy towards the sciences. And it may even instill the desire to later follow a scientific path.

Apart from one-time events, the Kinderlabor offers courses designed around a curriculum. Advantages are a longer exposure to a topic than during regular classroom hours and expert scientific knowledge provided by trained professionals. Courses over several weeks have taken place at primary schools in the Zurich area, such as Küsnacht, Kloten and Oetwil am See. Moreover, the Kinderlabor offers further education courses for teachers as well as course materials. In conjunction with Pro Juventute, Switzerland's foundation promoting activities for children, the Kinderlabor and the computer science department of ETH have teamed up to offer a yearly one-week holiday camp during which programming skills are taught to children of nine to twelve years of age.

As Prof. Gärtner points out, computer science is successively losing its outmoded image and is equally increasing in interest. In addition, a growing number of girls share a fascination for computer science topics. Despite this positive outlook, it is not the time to rest on one's laurels. The Kinderlabor is ambitious to keep pace with the current demand and Prof. Bernd Gärtner says he is keen to give back to society by making knowledge delightful for individuals. He hopes to maintain the high interest in computer science and simultaneously find committed and motivated partners to sustain his initiative.

Due to the success of the Kinderlabor, Prof. Bernd Gärtner and Dr. Petra Adamaszek have become well known in Switzerland and across neighboring German-speaking countries. As an initiative based on voluntary work, their outreach to society relies on external sources. Prof. Juraj Hromkovič from the Ausbildungs- und Beratungszentrum für Informatikunterricht (ABZ) of ETH and the Hasler Stiftung program "Informatics in the School" provide ongoing logistic help.

The return: progress for business, industry, society, and the individual

The return on human capital is a long-term investment. Reaping talent from a very young age is an extremely ambitious and noble task. Supporting young academics with a true devotion for the sciences results in novel ideas, cross-disciplinary research and maintains ETH's position as a world-class university. Providing access to knowledge and means for research and innovation impacts three levels: firstly, for businesses and industry partners, initiatives such as the Kinderlabor help grow a new generation of well-educated and motivated talents as well as spread gender diversity. With the establishment of 283 spin-offs between 1996 and 2013, these companies are crucial in creating economic growth and new jobs. Secondly, the return on healthy business and industry resources translates into a wealthy and enriched society. Finally, investing in individuals means raising the business and scientific leaders of tomorrow - a sustainable approach towards education well worth its investment.