From the Department Management
Since 1 August 2017, Prof. Rainer Wallny heads the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich. For the next two years he has taken over at the helm from his predecessor, Prof. Simon Lilly.
The departments of ETH Zurich enjoy a high level of autonomy and work within ETH within the framework of directives, similar to small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As with independent companies, a strong departmental management is central for governance. In the Department of Physics, the departmental management currently consists of six members.
In his research, Rainer Wallny deals with the physics of the smallest particles. He is an experimental particle physicist at CERN. In July 2012, the CERN scientists achieved an important breakthrough: they announced the discovery of a new particle, the long-sought Higgs boson.
The department management and its tasks
The department management, headed by Rainer Wallny, was expanded from five to six members as of 1 August, such that all business can be processed in a timely manner — not least with regard to the evaluation of the department in 2019.
The department management manages the resources, handles internal business in the department and maintains the relationship with the central bodies and the board of ETH Zurich.
The management approach
In contrast to an SME, the department head rotates every two to six years, in the sense of having a primus or prima inter pares ("first among equals"). Thus, in democratic and Swiss tradition, common will and equality of all leaders is exercised in practice.
The professors in the department are asked to engage in research as well as in tasks within the department — for example, as head. It goes without saying that each person has their own style of leadership to accomplish such additional tasks. As an avid sailor, Rainer Wallny draws the analogy to a ship, which is only on course when the entire team, from sailor to captain, contributes to the success of the enterprise.
Broad basis for decisions
The department management meets regularly every three to four weeks. The head of the department, like all other full members of the board, has one vote. Rainer Wallny seeks consensus within the department management for important decisions and ensures that all members are up-to-date regarding all business. This guarantees a seamless transfer of knowledge. The head of the department ultimately has the responsibility and passes the casting vote.
Departmental committees
The head of department is speaker and chairman in the Department and Professors' Conference. Resources, such as the budget or rooms, are discussed in the run-up to these conferences in the Department Committee. In the Department Committee, the units and interest groups of the department are represented by one person each; for example, since 2017, Christian Herzog represents the Services & Vocational Training division.
ETH+ and commissions in the ETH Zurich
Rainer Wallny also meets regularly with the other 15 department heads. On the occasion of the Faculty Retreat in Lucerne in November, the school management and the professors launched the "ETH+" initiative. The heads of the department, represented by their spokesperson Prof. Thomas Vogel of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, as well as the chairmen of the Strategy Committee, the Research Commission, the University Assembly and the Teaching Commission (headed by Prof. Andreas Vaterlaus), have an important role in this process, in which they evaluate proposals from the professorship. Another topic of the retreat was the financial reserves, which were partially saved by funding successfully secured by a number of professors and a sustainable financial planning. These should be incorporated more in the basic mission of ETH, in teaching, research and technology transfer.
At the Departemental Apéro on 9 January 2018 first ideas are shown where to this journey should lead.
With wisdom from the Vikings, we wish the entire D-PHYS crew a good journey in 2018: "We can not decide on the wind, but we can set the sails."