Collegium Helveticum

The Collegium Helveticum considers itself as a laboratory for transdisciplinary research. Founded in 1997, its central purpose and vision is to promote knowledge exchange between the natural sciences, the humanities, art, technology and medicine. As a joint initiative of the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, the Collegium is in a unique position to exploit the potential of two of Zurich’s most renowned academic institutions. From this vantage point, it seeks to establish a framework for knowledge exchange in transdisciplinary project partnerships and to demonstrate how academic dialogue can lead to the development of new interdisciplinary concepts and processes.

The Collegium Helveticum is committed to a bottom-up approach to its activities. Its fellows (for the most part professors from the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich) come together at the beginning of each new fellowship period to define a shared topic of interest and to develop relevant research projects. Related to these projects, the Collegium offers young academics the opportunity to obtain qualifications in a multidisciplinary environment. The fellows, their home institutions, PhD students, post-doctoral and affiliated researchers are all involved in the work of the Collegium Helveticum.