"You have to be careful that the loudest ones don't automatically get the most money" - Part 2/2
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.
Video series: Part 2/2
Prof. em. Carl August Zehnder was a co-founder of the Department of Computer Science and the study programme, one of the three founding members of the Swiss Informatics Society and a strong advocate for applied computer science, whether at the federal level, in the military, or in the area of computer science law and data protection.
In the continuation of this interview series, Zehnder discusses with his former doctoral student Beat Döbeli the challenges of founding the department: the difficulty of conveying an image of computer science to outsiders and establishing it as an independent subject despite resistance. He sees regular further education, associations and interdisciplinary events as a tool and a necessity to promote computer science and computer scientists.
In advancing computer science, Zehnder was not only concerned with teaching, but also with awakening people's understanding. He wanted to create opportunities for advancement and build bridges that enable conversation with other disciplines.
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.
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