"There was a big urge to finally train computer scientists" - Part 1/2
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.
Video series: Part 1/2
In 1981, Carl August Zehnder founded the independent Division for Computer Science and the associated study programme together with Niklaus Wirth, Jürg Nievergelt and Peter Läuchli. In doing so, they laid the foundation for today's Department of Computer Science; a long process that only succeeded at the fourth attempt. After the department was established, Zehnder became its first head and fundamentally shaped it with his data-driven approach.
In the first part of the interview, Carl August Zehnder talks to his former doctoral student Beat Döbeli Honegger about his professional career and the closely related development of computer science at ETH Zurich, how he brought computer science to the executive board and the hurdles that had to be overcome in the process, and about the extent to which his direct access to political authorities drove the establishment of computer science in Switzerland.
Carl August Zehnder was a professor at the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich from 1979 to 2003. He was a leading force in establishing the department and the computer science study programme, deputy head of the Institute for Operations Research, head of the Coordination Group for Data Processing, and vice president for the Services Department. He also introduced databases as a new research and teaching area at ETH.
Zehnder received his doctorate in 1965 for his paper on "Computer Calculation of Time Schedules and Timetables" and shortly thereafter carried out his first industrial consultations. Early on, he became aware that the study of computer science was more than applied mathematics and that there was great potential for applications of computer science in almost all areas of life. At a very young age, he was part of political committees dealing with computer science development, was later called upon as an expert in a wide variety of fields, and served on the board of various computer science professional organizations. As a Militia General Staff Officer with a total of four years of service, he was also involved in the introduction of IT into the Swiss Army.
Professor Beat Döbeli Honegger heads the Institute for Media and School at the Pädagogische Hochschule Schwyz. His core expertise lies in the area of media and computer science, where he promotes personal and collective learning, and working with digital tools. In 2005, he completed his doctorate at ETH Zurich. Beat Döbeli Honegger and Carl August Zehnder got to know each other particularly well between 1996 and 2005 when Döbeli was first a part-time assistant and then a doctoral student in Zehnder's group.
Mentions from the video
40 years D-INFK
The study programme and the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich are celebrating their fortieth anniversary this year. On this occasion, a series of interviews with former professors of the department, who were leading forces in the foundation and development of D-INFK, was created.
Anniversary website