We Are ETH is a podcast series featuring stories from Alumni of ETH Zurich around the globe. Hosted by ETH Circle Member and Entrepreneur Susan Kish, We Are ETH brings you conversations with the people who have taken their ETH experience out into the world and turned it into a company, a career, and a way of life.
Building Tomorrow: ETH President Joël Mesot on Innovation, Partnerships, and Real-World Impact
In this episode of We Are ETH, host Susan Kish speaks with Joël Mesot, President of ETH Zurich, a scientist and people-first leader who has guided ETH through rapid change with calm resolve and big ambition. With warmth and humility, Mesot explains how collective intelligence across departments turns ideas into impact, from the Geo Lab and next-generation space research to AI and climate technologies. He shares why ETH is speeding up translation from lab to society, how programmatic fundraising unlocks bold projects, and why close industry partnerships matter for Switzerland. They revisit lessons from COVID that strengthened autonomy and speed, and they talk about an education model that blends technical excellence with values, leadership, and communication. Mesot is generous about his team, candid about geopolitical headwinds, and clear about the legacy he hopes to leave: faster paths to impact, stronger ties with society, and a university that listens. Inspiring, pragmatic and deeply human.
Chapters
(00:29) A Day in the Life of ETH President
(01:45) Fundraising and External Relations
(03:06) Research Initiatives and Achievements
(04:19) Collective Intelligence and Collaboration
(05:08) COVID-19 Response and Rapid Innovation
(07:10) Autonomy and Speed in Research
(08:35) Legacy and Future Vision
(10:28) Climate Change and Environmental Research
(11:12) Educational Values and Competencies
(15:20) AI and Space Research
(21:27) Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
(29:34) Final Thoughts and Farewell
4 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT
Redefining the Human: Tobias Rees on AI, Microbiomes, and the New Brain
In this episode of We Are ETH, Susan Kish speaks with Tobias Rees, philosopher, and anthropologist, about how science and technology are rewriting our idea of “human”. Tobias explains the shift from seeing the brain as fixed chemistry to a living system that renews and adapts. He explores how the microbiome and climate research dissolve the old boundary between humans and nature. Then he turns to AI as an “in-between” presence: a built system that learns, models, and creates in ways once reserved for living beings. The result is a fresh take on agency, identity, and participation in a world where machines and organisms increasingly overlap. Along the way Rees shares the moments that shaped his thinking, the projects he is pursuing now and the practices that keep his ideas moving. Bold, clear and provocative, this is a fast track into the future of what we are.
Chapters:
(01:42) The brain: From fixed organ to living system
(06:04) The human as a concept
(07:43) Ancient philosophy: Who counted as human?
(09:54) The birth of universal humanity
(12:09) Microbiomes and climate change: Rethinking nature
(13:08) AI: Between machine and being
(16:03) Tobias's work and philosophy
(17:04) Growing up without career expectations
(18:03) Reading recommendations and daily practices
books and podcasts mentioned in this episode:
The Genius Of Trees by Harriet Rix (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460052/the-genius-of-trees-by-rix-harriet/9781847927828)
Possible by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger (https://www.possible.fm/)
No Priors by Sarah Guo and Elad Gil (https://www.youtube.com/@NoPriorsPodcast)
ZEIT Literatur Podcast "Was liest du gerade?" (https://www.zeit.de/serie/was-liest-du-gerade)
F.A.Z. Literatur Podcast (https://www.faz.net/podcasts/f-a-z-buecher-podcast/)
20 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT
Smart Cities, Hot Climates: How Estefanía Tapias is turning research and experience into real cities
In this episode of We Are ETH, host Susan Kish talks with Dr. Estefanía Tapias, ETH Zurich alumna and smart-city expert, about building resilient, people-centered cities. Estefanía traces a path from Bogotá to Zurich, through the Future Cities Lab in Singapore, to her current work in Dubai, advising on urban development across the Gulf. She explains how extreme heat reshapes street design, materials, and building operations, why public transport, shading, and walkability still win in hot climates, and how to scale sustainable construction. The conversation explores Saudi Arabia’s NEOM and other build-from-scratch projects, weighing bold vision against practical constraints. Estefanía reflects on “living the problems” before critiquing, how Zurich shaped her systems view, and how data bias and missing perspectives can distort planning models. She closes with advice for young planners: go where change is happening, blend tech with anthropology, and test ideas in real streets.
(00:00:48) Introduction: From Colombia to Dubai
(00:02:03) The Middle East's Technology Transformation
(00:02:34) Combining Urban Planning with Technology
(00:03:39) Public Transportation and Urban Design
(00:05:22) Falling in Love with Zurich
(00:07:07) Working with Visionary Professor Gerhard Schmitt
(00:09:13) Understanding Extreme Heat and Climate Adaptation
(00:12:41)Living the Problems Before Criticizing
(00:13:31)Cities Built from Scratch: Saudi Arabia's Opportunity
(00:16:49) NEOM: Successes and Challenges
(00:19:08) Advice for Young Urban Planners
(00:20:16) What Makes ETH Special
(00:21:20) Curiosity About Future Cities
(00:22:17) Data Bias and Diverse Perspectives in Technology
Inside a recent episode
Building Tomorrow: ETH President Joël Mesot on Innovation, Partnerships, and Real-World Impact
Published 18 Dec 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] I just remind you that ETH was created with the goal to modernize Switzerland. 170 years ago. Same as that. At the same time, it's a contemporary DMIT when MIT was... Exactly. It's about the same time. The difference being that we are national university. This mission has remained up to today. Back then, it was electrification of Switzerland, building railways, building tunnels for the apps. Actually, one of the first projects was the first got out tunnel. They needed engineers for that. And now I told already a bit what are the issues, climate change. We didn't talk too much about climate change. […]
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