Collegium Helveticum
Semper-Sternwarte Schmelzbergstrasse 25
8092 Zurich
Switzerland
collegium [dot] ethz [dot] ch
Director: bonhoeffer
collegium [dot] ethz [dot] ch (Prof. Dr. Sebastian Bonhoeffer)
The Collegium Helveticum is the joint Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) of the ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, and the Zurich University of the Arts. We aim to provide a meeting place and forum for dialogue between the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, engineering, medical science and the arts. Its transdisciplinary approach offers ideal conditions for a thriving culture of dialogue and a creative environment for innovative academic and artistic projects.
The fellowship programme is aimed at promising early-career researchers as well as exceptional academics and artists who are already established in their careers. We welcome applicants working in any disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, engineering and technology, medicine or the arts (fine arts, music, design, performing arts, film). Depending on the fellowship type, fellows either receive a grant equivalent to full salary (junior fellows) or a financial allowance to support them in their work (senior fellows) for the duration of their fellowship. As members of the Collegium community, fellows are actively involved in academic life and have ample opportunities to exchange thoughts and ideas with other fellows or in dialogue with academic partners from ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and Zurich University of the Arts. The Collegium attaches great importance to personal engagement and interaction, which is why it only hosts 13 senior fellows and eight junior fellows at any one time.
The fellowship year runs from 1 September to 30 June. Junior fellows generally begin their fellowship on 1 September. Senior fellows can start at any time.
A workplace for scholars and artists
The fellows of the Collegium work and meet in a unique environment: the old Swiss National Observatory, built to designs by Gottfried Semper and opened in 1864. It is located in the heart of Zurich’s university quarter, close to ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich.
The Semper Observatory has workspaces for the fellows as well as a seminar room and lecture hall kitted out with state-of-the-art presentation and recording equipment. Since 2020, the Collegium has also had two professionally equipped exhibition and performance spaces. The rooms can be used by fellows for academic and artistic events such as workshops, lectures, conferences, panel discussions, exhibitions or performances.