ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) was founded in 1855, primarily as a school for engineers, but also to compensate Zurich for not being the capital of Switzerland. Between 1861 and 1864, the impressive main building was built by Gottfried Semper. Since its foundation, the ETH Zurich has been a driving force behind the Swiss industry, whose innovative products and services are in demand worldwide. Many famous scientists and 21 Nobel Prize winners are associated with ETH Zurich. 21,400 students, including 4,180 doctoral students, from over 120 countries are enrolled in 16 departments covering all technical and scientific disciplines.
The City of Zurich
Zurich was founded by the Romans as a fortress more than 2000 years ago. Today Zurich has about 400,000 inhabitants and is the largest city in Switzerland. It is the capital of a canton also called Zurich. The city has a picturesque old town with many tourist attractions and is located at the end of Lake Zurich. It is not only important for its universities, but is also the commercial center of Switzerland and a platform for international trade.
Switzerland
Switzerland is well known for its food (especially chocolate and cheese), skiing in Zermatt, Gstaad, St. Moritz and many other famous places in the Alps, hiking in the Engadine or viewing the mountain panorama from the Glacier Express train. Many famous sights are close to Zurich and easy to reach by train. Spend a few days before or after the conference on Lake Lucerne, the Jungfraujoch, or in one of the many other beautiful locations.