Michael Ambühl: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2021

Award: The Golden Owl
Name Prof. em. Dr. Michael Ambühl
FieldNegotiation and Conflict Management
Address
Lehre Management, Technol. u. Ök.
ETH Zürich, WEV K 511
Weinbergstr. 56/58
8092 Zürich
SWITZERLAND
E-mailmambuehl@ethz.ch
DepartmentManagement, Technology, and Economics
RelationshipProfessor emeritus

NumberTitleECTSHoursLecturers
363-1039-00LIntroduction to Negotiation3 credits2GM. Ambühl
AbstractThe course introduces students to the concepts, theories, and strategies of negotiation and is enriched with an extensive exploration of real-life case-study examples.
ObjectiveThe objective of the course is to teach students to recognize, understand, and approach different negotiation situations, by relying on a range of primarily quantitative and some qualitative analytical tools.
ContentWe all negotiate on a daily basis – on a personal level with friends, family, and service providers, on a professional level with employers and clients, among others. Additionally, negotiations are constantly unfolding across various issues at the political level, from solving armed conflicts to negotiating trade and market access deals.

The course aims to provide students with a toolbox of analytical methods that can be used to identify and disentangle negotiation situations, as well as serve as a reference point to guide action in practice. The applicability of these analytical methods is illustrated through examples of negotiation situations from international politics and business.

The theoretical part of the course covers diverse perspectives on negotiation: with a key focus on game theory, but also covering Harvard principles of negotiation, as well as the negotiation engineering approach developed by Prof. Ambühl at ETH Zurich. The course also dedicates some time to focus on conflict management as a specific category of negotiation situations and briefly introduces students to the social aspects of negotiation, based on the insights from psychology and behavioral economics.

The empirical part of the course draws on case-studies from the realm of international politics and business, including examples from Prof. Ambühl’s work as a career diplomat. Every year, the course also hosts two guest lecturers – representatives from politics or business leaders, who share practical experience on negotiations from their careers.
LiteratureThe list of relevant references will be distributed in the beginning of the course.
371-0001-00LModule: Public Governance and Administration Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in Public Governance and Administration.
8 credits9GM. Ambühl, N. Meier
AbstractThe Certificate of Advanced Studies in Public Governance and Administration equips aspiring public sector leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to manage complex governance projects and processes.
ObjectiveProgram participants will learn to:
Understand key governance frameworks and problems;
Dissect multi-dimensional policy issues, with a particular emphasis on technological disruption;
Lead effectively across the spectrum of technical, human and conceptual challenges.
ContentThe program encompasses a sequence of one or half-day modules, which are organized into three interdisciplinary learning blocks:
I. Contemporary Governance
In this block, participants examine the broad frameworks within which public sector work takes place. Students will explore what governance in the 21st Century means as well as the theoretical and the practical nature of organizational, legal, regulatory and financial dimensions of public institutions and processes. With input from multiple disciplines - such as political science, organizational development, security studies and new public management - students gain the ability to contextualize and critically assess the local, regional, national as well as international context of their individual work.
II. Public Management
In this block, students are challenged to expand their leadership toolbox through lectures providing them with theoretical context and practical insights into various aspects of management. The goal is for participants to enhance their ability to organize and motivate teams, to communicate with a variety of stakeholders and to use quantitative and qualitative data to make sound decisions.
III. Policy Domains
This block covers relevant and rapidly changing policy domains. Special attention is paid to interlinkages between specific policy areas. Students gain the big picture knowledge necessary to make informed managerial decisions within complex processes and initiatives. Domains covered include “Environment”, “Health”, “Urbanization”, “Food”, “Education” and “Technology”.
371-0100-00LCAS Thesis Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in Public Governance and Administration.
7 credits13DM. Ambühl, N. Meier
AbstractIn their CAS thesis, participants synthesize their learning and apply their insights to their own institutions or examine a relevant topic employing the course methodologies.
ObjectivePractical application of course content and concepts.
ContentThe CAS Thesis is an individually authored academic paper that serves as the culminating learning experience in this program. The purpose of the CAS Thesis is to give students the opportunity to integrate the most relevant content and concepts from the CAS blocks into their own professional context.

CAS participants are free to choose a topic of particular relevance or interest to them. The main focus of the thesis should be on developing a solution or new perspective to a specific problem or area using a specified methodology or conceptual framework.
372-0003-00LInternational Policy Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in International Policy and Advocacy
3 credits4GM. Ambühl, N. Meier
AbstractThis module explores the foundations of international policy and the varied context within which international projects take place. Participants are encouraged to connect their own areas of expertise and their own professional emphasis to these higher-order dimensions - a necessary foundation for sound decision-making and negotiation in a competitive international environment.
ObjectiveThe program empowers participants to: effectively represent their organization's interests; manage complex governance projects within an international context; navigate the complexities of competitive international environments.
ContentThis module explores the basis of international politics and the various contexts. Participants are encouraged to combine and apply their professional knowledge and expertise to different policy dimensions. This enables them to build a solid foundation for future decision-making processes and negotiations in a competitive international environment. The module includes lectures on:
- Swiss Foreign Policy
- International Law & Governance
- Resources, Infrastructure & Technology
- Origins of the International System
- Migration
- Swiss Economic System
- Climate & Environment
- Security Policy & Cyber Security
372-0004-00LStrategy & Leadership Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in International Policy and Advocacy
1 credit1GM. Ambühl, N. Meier
AbstractThis module covers the latest research on management structures and processes as it applies to negotiations and interest representation. Participants are enabled to plan, implement and assess complex international projects.
ObjectiveThe program empowers participants to: effectively represent their organization's interests; manage complex governance projects within an international context; navigate the complexities of competitive international environments.
ContentThis module is dedicated to the latest knowledge about management structures and processes, which are directly related to negotiations and interest representation. Participants are enabled to plan, implement and evaluate international projects. The module includes lectures on the following topics:
- Strategic Management
- Leadership in International Projects
- Innovation Management
372-0005-00LInternational Advocacy Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in International Policy and Advocacy
2 credits2GM. Ambühl, N. Meier
AbstractAt the center of this module are the tools and frameworks necessary for representing an organization's interests. It enables participants to identify relevant stakeholders, to build effective advocacy and communications campaigns and to participate confidently in international negotiations.
ObjectiveThe program empowers participants to: effectively represent their organization's interests; manage complex governance projects within an international context; navigate the complexities of competitive international environments.
ContentThe focus of this module is on imparting those tools and skills that are essential for a successful representation of interests. The participants learn to identify relevant actors and stakeholders, to develop an effective representation and communication strategy and to confidently represent the interests of their own organization in an international context. The module includes the following lectures:
- Public Communication
- Critical Thinking & Argumentation
- Norms & Behavior in Diplomacy
- Social Dimensions of Negotiations & Advocacy
- Diplomatic Protocol
372-0006-00LNegotiations Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in International Policy and Advocacy
2 credits2GM. Ambühl, N. Meier
AbstractThis module centers on the negotiation process and prepares students to prepare for and carry out a variety of negotiations. Participants are enabled to apply the learnings directly through a series of mini-negotiation simulations, as well as in-depth discussions of real-life case studies
ObjectiveThe program empowers participants to: effectively represent their organization's interests; manage complex governance projects within an international context; navigate the complexities of competitive international environments.
ContentThis module covers negotiation processes and teaches participants the aspects of negotiations that are relevant to its preparation and implementation. During several small simulations as well as by discussing various real case studies, the participants learn the relevant skills by directly applying them. The module includes lectures on the following topics:
- Basic negotiation concepts
- Game theory
- Negotiation engineering
- International agreement and negotiation processes
- Conflict management and mediation
372-9000-00LCAS IPA Thesis Restricted registration - show details
Only for CAS in International Policy and Advocacy
7 credits13DM. Ambühl, N. Meier
AbstractThe centerpiece of the CAS Project is a full-day simulation in which participant groups face off against each other in a complex negotiation around a contemporary multilateral issue. In this challenging real-life atmosphere, participants are required to make use of all of the knowledge and competencies gained during the course in order to successfully reach an agreement with the other sides.
ObjectiveThe CAS Project and its component assignments are structured so as to relate all academic inputs of the teaching modules directly into a practical and highly relevant case, allowing for maximum retention of the knowledge and skills gained during the CAS.
ContentIn addition to attending the modules, participants work in groups on their CAS Project that extends throughout the semester. The Project consists of several written deliverables, which prepare students for a complex, all-day negotiation simulation at the end of the course. During this simulation, the groups of participants conduct a comprehensive negotiation on a current multilateral issue. The setup enables the participants to use their newly acquired skills and the knowledge they have acquired in the course to successfully achieve their negotiation goals.
In preparation for the simulation, the participants must submit various exercises and additional documents (position papers, negotiation and advocacy strategy, etc.) during the semester.
The CAS Project and its individual components are designed in such a way that they can each be derived directly from an academic input. This enables the participants to transfer what they have learned in the CAS directly to a real example and to professionalize its practical application.