COLLEGIUM HELVETICUM
The Collegium Helveticum, situated in the Semper-Observatory at the Schmelzbergstrasse 25 in Zurich, 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, the ETH Zurich and the Zurich University of the Arts, the Collegium is in a unique position to exploit the potential of three 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, the ETH Zurich and the Zurich University of the Arts) 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.
The Collegium is not an inward-looking institution. It frequently hosts international symposia, lectures and workshops where decision- makers in the scientific, economic, political and cultural spheres meet with students and a public audience in an attempt to strengthen the engagement with present and future societal challenges.
In addition to the above, the Collegium at times also cooperates with other institutions, offering a knowledge exchange platform for interdisciplinary research groups or acting as advisor to institutions tackling problems that require a transdisciplinary approach.