Search result: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2023
Science in Perspective  In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Type B: Reflection About Subject-Specific Methods and ContentsSubject-specific courses. Particularly relevant for students interested in those subjects. All these courses are also listed under the category “Typ A”, and every student can enroll in these courses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0703-00L | Introduction to Law | W | 2 credits | 2V | O. Streiff Gnöpff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This class introduces students into basic features of the legal system. Fundamental issues of constitutional law, administrative law, private law and the law of the EU are covered. The focus is on legal problems related to space. Active participation is expected in short interactive sequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students are able to identify basic structures of the legal system. They unterstand selected topics of public and private law. They are able to apply the fundamentals in more advanced law classes and to recognize the relevance of law in their own field. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Basic concepts of law, sources of law. Private law: Contract law (particularly contract for work and services), tort law, property law. Public law: Human rights, administrative law, procurement law, procedural law. Insights into the law of the EU and into criminal law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Jaap Hage, Bram Akkermans (Eds.), Introduction to Law, Cham 2017 (Online Resource ETH Library) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Further documents will be available online (https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=20127) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-00L | Contract Design I  You can find all course materials and the most recent announcements on Moodle. Please log in to Moodle using your ETH or UZH credentials. Then search for "Contract Design I (851-0742-00L; Fall 2023)" and enroll. The password is "ContractDesign01". It is NOT a legal drafting class focused on contractual language. Number of participants limited to 160. Max 80 ETHZ and 80 UZH Students | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer, A. Tacconelli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design I is taught by Professor Stremitzer and aims to bridge the gap between economic contract theory, contract law, and the writing of real-world contracts. In this course, we take a systematic approach to contract design. This means we first analyze the economic environment in which a transaction takes place and then engineer contracts that achieve the desired outcome. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Contracts are agreements between parties to engage in transactions. A good contract creates value by giving parties the right incentives to meet their objectives. A good contract designer scrutinizes the economic situation in which parties find themselves and tailors the contract to the challenges at hand. To help you become sophisticated contract designers, we draw from insights for which more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes were awarded in the past two decades and transfer them to the art of writing real-world contracts. In other words, Contract Design will provide you with analytical tools to design contracts that help you be better lawyers, business leaders, and startup founders. We will cover topics such as moral hazard, adverse selection, elicitation mechanisms, relationship-specific investments, and relational contracting and apply the theoretical insights to real-life case studies ranging from purchases & sales of assets, oil & gas exploration, movie financing, production & distribution, construction & development, M&A deals, venture capital financing, to executive compensation and many other types of transactions. The course follows a flipped-classroom model: You will watch learning videos specifically produced for this course ahead of class. We will use class time to discuss real-world case studies. The videos will be made available before the lecture each week and need to be watched ahead of coming to class. Computer-graded quizzes at the beginning of each class will test students’ understanding of the concepts introduced in the videos. As the emphasis of this class is on class discussion, attendance is mandatory. Absent important reasons, you cannot miss class more than twice. The lectures will be recorded but only made available to those who miss lectures with excused absence. For ETH students: Your grade will consist of two parts: 1) You will take weekly computer-based quizzes during class time. Thus, it is important that you attend the lectures to be able to finish the quizzes and pass this course. 2) You compose short responses to take-home questions on case studies we assign and upload them ahead of class (Pass/Fail). Note that UZH and UNISG students enrolling in this course need to earn more ECTS for completing this course than ETH students (due to curricula reasons). This is why UZH and UNISG students must complete a written assignment in addition to the weekly quizzes and take-home questions. UZH students also have to complete an additional group project. UZH and UNISG students should check out the description of the class at their respective home institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts, prerecorded videos, slides, case studies, and other materials available on a dedicated webpage: contractdesign.org. Access to this webpage is free of charge for ETH students as ETH purchased a license for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Attendance is mandatory. You are only allowed to miss two lectures unless there are special circumstances. Contract Design I is available to ETH students through the Science in Perspective (SiP) Program of D-GESS. This course is particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-CHAB, DMATH, D-MTEC, D-INFK, and D-MAVT. If you have any questions regarding the course, please write an email to the teaching assistants, Lucas Gericke (lucas.gericke@gess.ethz.ch) or Serge von Steiger (serge.vonsteiger@gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0703-04L | Law and Urban Space Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH. | W | 2 credits | 2V | O. Streiff Gnöpff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Legal rules are tied to urban space. Illustrative is the relation between land ownership and urban morphology. Legal concepts with spatial impacts are introduced and related to the theory of urban design. Moreover, it is discussed how these concepts shape specific places. The course includes interactive sequences for which active participation is expected. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students recognize the interplay between legal structures and urban space. They can describe legal concepts with spatial impact. Moreover, they are able to compare legally binding targets with theoretical approaches in urban design. By analysing a specific place, students learn to find relevant norms, to analyse and to judge them with regard to urban design theories. Thereby, they are able to distinguish design and policy questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Using the the term «lawscape» (Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos), we initially discuss general aspects of the interplay between legal rules and urban space. In the following weeks we consider the interplay with reference to different dimensions of urban space (e.g. morphological, social, funcional dimension). Working tools are theoretical texts, legal rules, court decisions as well as site analyses. Students prepare the texts for joint discussions and undertake a case study in small groups. Selected case studies are presented and discussed in a final meeting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | See Literature. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Documents will be available online (see https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=20128). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Number of participants limited to: 40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0707-00L | Space Planning Law and Environment Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-USYS. | W | 2 credits | 2G | O. Bucher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | System of swiss planning law, Constitutional and statutory provisions, Space planning and fundamental rights, Instruments, Application, legal protection, enforcement, Practical training. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Basic unterstanding of nature and function of space planning from a legal point of view. Basic knowledge of space planning instruments, relationship between space planning and constitutional law (especially property rights), solving of practical cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Die Vorlesung basiert wesentlich auf der Mitwirkung der Studenten. Es finden 3 Sitzungen im Hörsaal statt, in welchen sich in der Praxis stellende Probleme erörtert werden. Die Vorbereitung auf die jeweiligen Sitzungen erfolgt an Hand von Fallbearbeitungen und einem Selbststudium an Hand des Lehrbuchs zum Raumplanungs- und Baurecht. Lösen von drei Aufgaben (praktischen Fällen) mit je genügender Leistung für die Erlangung der KP. Als Lernhilfe werden Anleitungen und insbesondere ein Musterfall mit Musterlösung zur Verfügung gestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Haller, Walter/Karlen, Peter, Raumplanung-, Bau- und Umweltrecht, 3.A., Zürich 1999 Hänni, Peter, Planungs-, Bau- und besonderes Umweltschutzrecht, 7.A., Bern 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0252-01L | Human-Computer Interaction: Cognition and Usability Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-INFK, D-ITET. | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Hölscher, I. Barisic, B. Davison | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will introduce key topics, theories and methodology in human-computer interaction (HCI) and usability, with a focus on applying them to real situations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Presentations will cover the basics of human-computer interaction and selected topics: ● History of HCI ● Research ethics ● Literature reviews ● Participant-free methods: cognitive walkthrough and heuristic evaluation ● Card sorting and information architecture ● Usability studies ● Unmoderated research and diary studies ● Surveys ● User Logs and metric frameworks On a weekly basis, students will conduct authentic research in class covering the topics above. They will submit their in-class research results regularly and also present their findings to the class once per semester. The final project demonstrates class topic adoption by deeply exploring one HCI problem using the covered methods and tools. Students will choose a research topic and execute their research plan. They will individually write a formal report including problem definition, literature review, methodology, findings and discussion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-08L | Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools for Evaluating Architectural Design Does not take place this semester. Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH. | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Hölscher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students are taught a variety of analytic techniques that can be used to evaluate architectural design. The concept of evidence-based design is introduced, and complemented with theoretical background on space syntax and spatial cognition. This is a project-oriented course, students implement a range of methods on a sample project. The course is tailored for architecture design students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course aims to teach students how to evaluate a design project from the perspective of the end user. The concept of evidence-based design is introduced through a series of case studies. Students are given a theoretical background in space syntax and spatial cognition, with a view to applying this knowledge during the design process. The course covers a range of methods including visibility analysis, network analysis, conducting real-world observations, and virtual reality for architectural design. Students apply these methods to a case study of their choice, which can be at building or urban scale. For students taking a B-ARCH or M-ARCH degree, this can be a completed or ongoing design studio project. The course gives students the chance to implement the methods iteratively and explore how best to address the needs of the eventual end-user during the design process. The course is tailored for students studying for B-ARCH and M-ARCH degrees. As an alternative to obtaining D-GESS credit, architecture students can obtain course credit in "Vertiefungsfach" or "Wahlfach". | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0724-01L | Real Estate Property Law Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-USYS. | W | 3 credits | 3V | S. Stucki, R. Müller-Wyss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Real estate property law (esp. content, acquisition, restrictions under private and public law, transmission and loss). Legal presentation: land register, surveying, cadastre. Basic questions of contract and tax law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The legal principles of real estate property law can be correctly interpreted and applied in daily life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Real estate property law (esp. content, acquisition, restrictions under private and public law, transmission and loss). Legal presentation: land register, surveying, cadastre. Basic questions of contract and tax law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Abgegebene Unterlagen: Skript in digitaler Form | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | - Adrian Mühlematter / Stephan Stucki: Grundbuchrecht für die Praxis, Zürich 2016 - Wolfgang Ernst / Samuel Zogg: Sachenrecht in a nutshell, Zürich 2020 - Jörg Schmid / Bettina Hürlimann-Kaup: Sachenrecht, Zürich 2017 - Meinrad Huser, Schweizerisches Vermessungsrecht, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Geoinformationsrecht und des Grundbuchrechts, Zürich 2014 - Meinrad Huser, Geo-Informationsrecht, Rechtlicher Rahmen für Geographische Informationssyteme, Zürich 2005 - Meinrad Huser, Darstellung von Grenzen zur Sicherung dinglicher Rechte, in ZBGR 2013, 238 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Baubeschränkungen und Grundbuch, in BR/DC 4/2016, 197 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Publikation von Eigentumsbeschränkungen - neue Regeln, in Baurecht 4/2010, S. 169 - Meinrad Huser, Der Aufteilungsplan im Stockwerkeigentum: Neue Darstellung – grössere Rechtsverbindlichkeit, in ZBGR 2020, S. 203 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Datenschutz bei Geodaten, in: Passadelis/Rosenthal/Thür, Datenschutzrecht, Basel 2015, S. 513 ff. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0467-00L | From Traffic Modeling to Smart Cities and Digital Democracies | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. Helbing, R. K. Dubey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will present speakers who discuss the challenges and opportunities arising for our cities and societies with the digital revolution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To collect credit points, students will have to actively contribute and give an individual presentation for around 30 minutes in the seminar on a subject agreed with the lecturer, after which the presentation will be discussed (could be 20 or 40 min, depending on available time). The presentation will be graded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This seminar will present speakers who discuss the challenges and opportunities arising for our cities and societies with the digital revolution. Besides discussing questions of automation using Big Data, AI and other digital technologies, we will also reflect on the question of how democracy could be digitally upgraded, and how citizen participation could contribute to innovation, sustainability, resilience, and quality of life. This includes questions around collective intelligence and digital platforms that support creativity, engagement, coordination and cooperation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Dirk Helbing An Analytical Theory of Traffic Flow (collection of papers) Michael Batty, Kay Axhausen et al. Smart cities of the future Books by Michael Batty: How social influence can undermine the wisdom of crowd effect Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups Optimal incentives for collective intelligence Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace Big Mind: How Collective Intelligence Can Change Our World Programming Collective Intelligence Urban architecture as connective-collective intelligence. Which spaces of interaction? Build digital democracy How to make democracy work in the digital age Digital Democracy: How to make it work? Proof of witness presence: Blockchain consensus for augmented democracy in smart cities Iterative Learning Control for Multi-agent Systems Coordination Decentralized Collective Learning for Self-managed Sharing Economies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students need to present a new subject, for which they have not earned any credit points before. Good scientific practices, in particular citation and quotation rules, must be properly complied with. Chatham House rules apply to this course. Materials may not be shared without previous written permission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-01L | Contract Design II Does not take place this semester. To be considered for Contract Design II, you must have completed Contract Design I in the same semester. Students can only register for Contract Design II after having obtained approval by Prof. Stremitzer. | W | 1 credit | 1U | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design II is a masterclass in the form of an interactive clinic that allows you to deepen your understanding of contracting by applying insights from Contract Design I to a comprehensive case study. Together with your classmates, you are going to advise a (hypothetical) client organization planning to enter a complex transaction on how to structure the underlying contract. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | There is a possibility that representatives from companies that were previously engaged in similar deals will visit us in class and tell you about their experience firsthand. In Contract Design I, you will receive more detailed information on the content and learning objectives of Contract Design II. If you have urgent questions, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Professor Stremitzer’s Teaching Assistant Diego Caldera (diegoalberto.calderaherrera@uzh.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To enable you to work under the close supervision of your professor and his team, only a small group of students with backgrounds in law, business, or engineering is admitted to this course. This simulation is time-consuming and challenging. Hence, we can only admit the most successful and motivated students to this class. Further information on the application process will follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0253-08L | Advanced Topics in Evidence-Based Design for Architecture Does not take place this semester. Course requirements: Completion of the course Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design (851-0252-08L). | W | 3 credits | 2U | C. Hölscher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students will gain advanced knowledge and practical hands-on experience with agent-based simulations and spatial analysis tools to evaluate hospital layouts from the perspective of end-users. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will build on their previous projects as part of the course “ Evidence-Based Design: Methods and Tools For Evaluating Architectural Design” (851-0252-08L). Students enrolled will participate in an international workshop with GSAPP at Columbia University Designing the post-pandemic hospital with evidence. for people. The course is funded by an ETH innvoedum project entitled cogARCH: linking cognition and architecture to design resilient hospitals architecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0012-00L | Technology, Development, and Colonialism in the Age of Empire (c. 1800–1950) | W | 3 credits | 2S | E. Valdameri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the manifold interconnections existing between technology, development and colonialism in the period between c. 1800 and 1950. Central to this seminar is the development of technologies such as means of transportation, architecture, passports, torture techniques in relation to the colonial experience, decolonisation and development, especially in Asian and African settings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be able to a) develop new perspectives on their core subjects by bringing them in dialogue with the themes dealt with and raising ethical questions; b) familiarise with relevant topics examined by recent scholarship in the specific context of colonialism; c) think critically of the present through a better understanding of technology and development and their relationship with power. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Students learn the history of technology and development from around 1800 to 1950 through examples taking into account theoretical texts and empirical case studies from the relevant multidisciplinary scholarship with a special, albeit not exclusive, focus on colonial contexts in Asia and Africa. More specifically, students are sensitized to the historical, political and cultural variabilities of technology and development beyond their supposedly objective rationale and within discourses of so-called civilising and modernising missions. The course is structured thematically, adopts a multidisciplinary approach, and uses academic texts as well as concrete examples. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0125-71L | Whose Responsibility for What? On Individual and Collective Responsibility Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-HEST, D-MTEC, D-USYS Doctoral students can receive credit for the achievements of this course in the section "Transferable Skills". | W | 3 credits | 2G | L. Wingert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Responsibility is a key concept in ethics: The individual's responsibility is emphasized. Contrary to that, one often points to the limits of a person's responsibility, e.g. for a stock market crash, for greenhouse gas emissions, for injust social conditions. What belongs to to our responsibility as individuals and what to our collective responsibility? And do robots have responsibilities? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | 1. Certain concepts should be clarified: e.g., the very meaning of "being responsible for one's actions and its consequences". To what extent are we responsible for the social conditions we find ourselves in? 2. One theoretical position in the philosophy of sociality holds that only individual persons (and not firms, institutions, or states) can be responsible for action and social conditions. Students should be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this thesis (methodological individualism). 3. What does responsibility mean in special social spheres like the economy and the sciences? What does a citizen's collective and personal responsibility consist in? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-01L | The Role of Intellectual Property in the Engineering and Technical Sector Particularly suitable for students of D-BAUG, D-BIOL, D-BSSE, D-CHAB, D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | K. Houshang Pour Islam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture gives an overview of the fundamental aspects of intellectual property, which plays an important role in the daily routine of engineers and scientists. The lecture aims to make participants aware of the various methods of protection and to put them in a position to use this knowledge in the workplace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In recent years, knowledge about intellectual property has become increasingly important for engineers and scientists. Both in production and distribution and in research and development, they are increasingly being confronted with questions concerning the patenting of technical inventions and the use of patent information. The lecture will acquaint participants with practical aspects of intellectual property and enable them to use the acquired knowledge in their future professional life. Topics covered during the lecture will include: - The importance of innovation in industrialised countries - An overview of the different forms of intellectual property - The protection of technical inventions and how to safeguard their commercialisation - Patents as a source of technical and business information - Practical aspects of intellectual property in day-to-day research, at the workplace and for the formation of start-ups. Case studies will illustrate and deepen the topics addressed during the lecture. The seminar will include practical exercises on how to use and search patent information. Basic knowledge of how to read and evaluate patent documents as well as how to use publicly available patent databases to obtain the required patent information will also be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture addresses students in the fields of engineering, science and other related technical fields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-00L | Contract Design I You can find all course materials and the most recent announcements on Moodle. Please log in to Moodle using your ETH or UZH credentials. Then search for "Contract Design I (851-0742-00L; Fall 2023)" and enroll. The password is "ContractDesign01". It is NOT a legal drafting class focused on contractual language. Number of participants limited to 160. Max 80 ETHZ and 80 UZH Students | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer, A. Tacconelli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design I is taught by Professor Stremitzer and aims to bridge the gap between economic contract theory, contract law, and the writing of real-world contracts. In this course, we take a systematic approach to contract design. This means we first analyze the economic environment in which a transaction takes place and then engineer contracts that achieve the desired outcome. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Contracts are agreements between parties to engage in transactions. A good contract creates value by giving parties the right incentives to meet their objectives. A good contract designer scrutinizes the economic situation in which parties find themselves and tailors the contract to the challenges at hand. To help you become sophisticated contract designers, we draw from insights for which more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes were awarded in the past two decades and transfer them to the art of writing real-world contracts. In other words, Contract Design will provide you with analytical tools to design contracts that help you be better lawyers, business leaders, and startup founders. We will cover topics such as moral hazard, adverse selection, elicitation mechanisms, relationship-specific investments, and relational contracting and apply the theoretical insights to real-life case studies ranging from purchases & sales of assets, oil & gas exploration, movie financing, production & distribution, construction & development, M&A deals, venture capital financing, to executive compensation and many other types of transactions. The course follows a flipped-classroom model: You will watch learning videos specifically produced for this course ahead of class. We will use class time to discuss real-world case studies. The videos will be made available before the lecture each week and need to be watched ahead of coming to class. Computer-graded quizzes at the beginning of each class will test students’ understanding of the concepts introduced in the videos. As the emphasis of this class is on class discussion, attendance is mandatory. Absent important reasons, you cannot miss class more than twice. The lectures will be recorded but only made available to those who miss lectures with excused absence. For ETH students: Your grade will consist of two parts: 1) You will take weekly computer-based quizzes during class time. Thus, it is important that you attend the lectures to be able to finish the quizzes and pass this course. 2) You compose short responses to take-home questions on case studies we assign and upload them ahead of class (Pass/Fail). Note that UZH and UNISG students enrolling in this course need to earn more ECTS for completing this course than ETH students (due to curricula reasons). This is why UZH and UNISG students must complete a written assignment in addition to the weekly quizzes and take-home questions. UZH students also have to complete an additional group project. UZH and UNISG students should check out the description of the class at their respective home institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts, prerecorded videos, slides, case studies, and other materials available on a dedicated webpage: contractdesign.org. Access to this webpage is free of charge for ETH students as ETH purchased a license for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Attendance is mandatory. You are only allowed to miss two lectures unless there are special circumstances. Contract Design I is available to ETH students through the Science in Perspective (SiP) Program of D-GESS. This course is particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-CHAB, DMATH, D-MTEC, D-INFK, and D-MAVT. If you have any questions regarding the course, please write an email to the teaching assistants, Lucas Gericke (lucas.gericke@gess.ethz.ch) or Serge von Steiger (serge.vonsteiger@gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0707-00L | Space Planning Law and Environment Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-USYS. | W | 2 credits | 2G | O. Bucher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | System of swiss planning law, Constitutional and statutory provisions, Space planning and fundamental rights, Instruments, Application, legal protection, enforcement, Practical training. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Basic unterstanding of nature and function of space planning from a legal point of view. Basic knowledge of space planning instruments, relationship between space planning and constitutional law (especially property rights), solving of practical cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Die Vorlesung basiert wesentlich auf der Mitwirkung der Studenten. Es finden 3 Sitzungen im Hörsaal statt, in welchen sich in der Praxis stellende Probleme erörtert werden. Die Vorbereitung auf die jeweiligen Sitzungen erfolgt an Hand von Fallbearbeitungen und einem Selbststudium an Hand des Lehrbuchs zum Raumplanungs- und Baurecht. Lösen von drei Aufgaben (praktischen Fällen) mit je genügender Leistung für die Erlangung der KP. Als Lernhilfe werden Anleitungen und insbesondere ein Musterfall mit Musterlösung zur Verfügung gestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Haller, Walter/Karlen, Peter, Raumplanung-, Bau- und Umweltrecht, 3.A., Zürich 1999 Hänni, Peter, Planungs-, Bau- und besonderes Umweltschutzrecht, 7.A., Bern 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 701-0703-00L | Environmental Ethics (University of Zurich) No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH as an incoming student. UZH Module Code: 07SMEEE266 Please register at: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/de/studies/application/chmobilityin.html after you received your logon information you can enrol to courses at: https://studentservices.uzh.ch/uzh/application#/Logon Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/studies/application/deadlines.html | W | 3 credits | 2V | University lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The pressing environmental challenges of today demand a critical reflection. Ethics is an important tool for doing so. This lecture introduces the basics of ethics and provides in-depth knowledge of environmental ethics and its debates. This theoretical background will be applied and critically reflected using examples of current environmental challenges. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | On completion of this lecture, you have acquired the ability to identify, analyze, critically reflect and resolve ethical challenges in general and specifically regarding the environment. You know basic concepts, positions and lines of argumentation from the debate in environmental ethics, which you have applied and discussed in smaller exercises. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 052-0801-00L | Global History of Urban Design I | W | 2 credits | 2G | T. Avermaete | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course focuses on the history of the design of cities, as well as on the ideas, processes and actors that engender and lead their development and transformation. The history of urban design will be approached as a cross-cultural field of knowledge that integrates scientific, economic and technical innovation as well as social and cultural advances. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The lectures deal mainly with the definition of urban design as an independent discipline, which maintains connections with other disciplines (politics, sociology, geography) that are concerned with the transformation of the city. The aim is to make students conversant with the multiple theories, concepts and approaches of urban design as they were articulated throughout time in a variety of cultural contexts, thus offering a theoretical framework for students' future design work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | In the first semester the genesis of the objects of study, the city, urban culture and urban design, are introduced and situated within their intellectual, cultural and political contexts: 01. The History and Theory of the City as Project 02. Of Rituals, Water and Mud: The Urban Revolution in Mesopotamia and the Indus 03: The Idea of the Polis: Rome, Greece and Beyond 04: The Long Middle Ages and their Counterparts: From the Towns of Tuscany to Delhi 05: Between Ideal and Laboratory: Of Middle Eastern Grids and European Renaissance Principles 06: Of Absolutism and Enlightenment: Baroque, Defense and Colonization 07: The City of Labor: Company Towns as Cross-Cultural Phenomenon 08: Garden Cities of Tomorrow: From the Global North to the Global South and Back Again 09: Civilized Wilderness and City Beautiful: The Park Movement of Olmsted and The Urban Plans of Burnham 10: The Extension of the European City: From the Viennese Ringstrasse to Amsterdam Zuid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Prior to each lecture a chapter of the reader (Skript) will be made available through the webpage of the Chair. These chapters will provide an introduction to the lecture, the basic visual references of each lecture, key dates and events, as well as references to the compulsory and additional reading. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | There are three books that will function as main reference literature throughout the course: -Ching, Francis D. K, Mark Jarzombek, and Vikramditya Prakash. A Global History of Architecture. Hoboken: Wiley, 2017. -Ingersoll, Richard. World Architecture: A Cross-Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. -James-Chakraborty, Kathleen. Architecture Since 1400. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2014. These books will be reserved for consultation in the ETH Baubibliothek, and will not be available for individual loans. A list of further recommended literature will be found within each chapter of the reader (Skript). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students are required to familiarize themselves with the conventions of architectural drawing (reading and analyzing plans at various scales). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0724-01L | Real Estate Property Law Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-USYS. | W | 3 credits | 3V | S. Stucki, R. Müller-Wyss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Real estate property law (esp. content, acquisition, restrictions under private and public law, transmission and loss). Legal presentation: land register, surveying, cadastre. Basic questions of contract and tax law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The legal principles of real estate property law can be correctly interpreted and applied in daily life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Real estate property law (esp. content, acquisition, restrictions under private and public law, transmission and loss). Legal presentation: land register, surveying, cadastre. Basic questions of contract and tax law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Abgegebene Unterlagen: Skript in digitaler Form | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | - Adrian Mühlematter / Stephan Stucki: Grundbuchrecht für die Praxis, Zürich 2016 - Wolfgang Ernst / Samuel Zogg: Sachenrecht in a nutshell, Zürich 2020 - Jörg Schmid / Bettina Hürlimann-Kaup: Sachenrecht, Zürich 2017 - Meinrad Huser, Schweizerisches Vermessungsrecht, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Geoinformationsrecht und des Grundbuchrechts, Zürich 2014 - Meinrad Huser, Geo-Informationsrecht, Rechtlicher Rahmen für Geographische Informationssyteme, Zürich 2005 - Meinrad Huser, Darstellung von Grenzen zur Sicherung dinglicher Rechte, in ZBGR 2013, 238 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Baubeschränkungen und Grundbuch, in BR/DC 4/2016, 197 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Publikation von Eigentumsbeschränkungen - neue Regeln, in Baurecht 4/2010, S. 169 - Meinrad Huser, Der Aufteilungsplan im Stockwerkeigentum: Neue Darstellung – grössere Rechtsverbindlichkeit, in ZBGR 2020, S. 203 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Datenschutz bei Geodaten, in: Passadelis/Rosenthal/Thür, Datenschutzrecht, Basel 2015, S. 513 ff. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-01L | Contract Design II Does not take place this semester. To be considered for Contract Design II, you must have completed Contract Design I in the same semester. Students can only register for Contract Design II after having obtained approval by Prof. Stremitzer. | W | 1 credit | 1U | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design II is a masterclass in the form of an interactive clinic that allows you to deepen your understanding of contracting by applying insights from Contract Design I to a comprehensive case study. Together with your classmates, you are going to advise a (hypothetical) client organization planning to enter a complex transaction on how to structure the underlying contract. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | There is a possibility that representatives from companies that were previously engaged in similar deals will visit us in class and tell you about their experience firsthand. In Contract Design I, you will receive more detailed information on the content and learning objectives of Contract Design II. If you have urgent questions, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Professor Stremitzer’s Teaching Assistant Diego Caldera (diegoalberto.calderaherrera@uzh.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To enable you to work under the close supervision of your professor and his team, only a small group of students with backgrounds in law, business, or engineering is admitted to this course. This simulation is time-consuming and challenging. Hence, we can only admit the most successful and motivated students to this class. Further information on the application process will follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0012-00L | Technology, Development, and Colonialism in the Age of Empire (c. 1800–1950) | W | 3 credits | 2S | E. Valdameri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the manifold interconnections existing between technology, development and colonialism in the period between c. 1800 and 1950. Central to this seminar is the development of technologies such as means of transportation, architecture, passports, torture techniques in relation to the colonial experience, decolonisation and development, especially in Asian and African settings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be able to a) develop new perspectives on their core subjects by bringing them in dialogue with the themes dealt with and raising ethical questions; b) familiarise with relevant topics examined by recent scholarship in the specific context of colonialism; c) think critically of the present through a better understanding of technology and development and their relationship with power. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Students learn the history of technology and development from around 1800 to 1950 through examples taking into account theoretical texts and empirical case studies from the relevant multidisciplinary scholarship with a special, albeit not exclusive, focus on colonial contexts in Asia and Africa. More specifically, students are sensitized to the historical, political and cultural variabilities of technology and development beyond their supposedly objective rationale and within discourses of so-called civilising and modernising missions. The course is structured thematically, adopts a multidisciplinary approach, and uses academic texts as well as concrete examples. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0125-71L | Whose Responsibility for What? On Individual and Collective Responsibility Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-HEST, D-MTEC, D-USYS Doctoral students can receive credit for the achievements of this course in the section "Transferable Skills". | W | 3 credits | 2G | L. Wingert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Responsibility is a key concept in ethics: The individual's responsibility is emphasized. Contrary to that, one often points to the limits of a person's responsibility, e.g. for a stock market crash, for greenhouse gas emissions, for injust social conditions. What belongs to to our responsibility as individuals and what to our collective responsibility? And do robots have responsibilities? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | 1. Certain concepts should be clarified: e.g., the very meaning of "being responsible for one's actions and its consequences". To what extent are we responsible for the social conditions we find ourselves in? 2. One theoretical position in the philosophy of sociality holds that only individual persons (and not firms, institutions, or states) can be responsible for action and social conditions. Students should be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this thesis (methodological individualism). 3. What does responsibility mean in special social spheres like the economy and the sciences? What does a citizen's collective and personal responsibility consist in? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 860-0012-00L | Cooperation and Conflict Over International Water Resources Does not take place this semester. This lecture is no longer offered from the autumn semester of 2023. | W | 3 credits | 2G | T. Bernauer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course focuses on the technical, economic, and political challenges of dealing with water allocation and pollution problems in large international river systems. It examines ways and means through which such challenges are or can be addressed, and when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Ability to (1) understand the causes and consequences of water scarcity and water pollution problems in large international river systems; (2) understand ways and means of addressing such water challenges; and (3) analyse when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The first six meetings serve to acquire basic knowledge on the science and politics of international water management. This will be followed by five meetings that focus on specific cases (international river systems) and a meeting where we discuss what can be learned from the five cases. For this part of the class we have invited several colleagues with long-standing expertise on the respective international river basin. 20.Sep Global water challenges 27.Sep Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us 04.Oct Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us 11.Oct Water pollution and its mitigation 18.Oct Key challenges in international river systems 25.Oct Key challenges in international river systems 01.Nov Case study 1: Yarmuk 08.Nov Case study 2: Mekong 15.Nov Case study 3: Colorado 22.Nov Case study 4: Nile 29.Nov Case study 5: Central Asia 06.Dec Wrap up: what we can learn from these case studies 13.Dec Exam 20.Dec No class Exam: 3 ECTS, based on grade ≥ 4.0 in written test at the end of the semester. 90 minutes; 13 December 2022, 12:15 – 13:45; same room as the course. The exam covers the mandatory reading assignments as well as lectures and discussion parts in class. The exam will consist of around ten questions that require answers in a few sentences each. Permitted supporting material: dictionary, ink-based pen, no laptops, no mobile phones, no calculators, no printed or hand-written material. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Slides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course is open to Master and doctoral students from any area of ETH. Limited to 40 students. Most meetings will take place on campus, with no recording of meetings. Participation in this course only makes sense if you can attend classes regularly in person. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0180-00L | Research Ethics Does not take place this semester. Particularly suitable for students of D-BIOL, D-CHAB, D-HEST | W | 2 credits | 2G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students are able to identify and critically evaluate moral arguments, to analyse and to solve moral dilemmas considering different normative perspectives and to create their own well-justified reasoning for taking decisions to the kind of ethical problems a scientist is likely to encounter during the different phases of biomedical research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants of the course Research Ethics will • Develop an understanding of the role of certain moral concepts, principles and normative theories related to scientific research; • Improve their moral reasoning skills (such as identifying and evaluating reasons, conclusions, assumptions, analogies, concepts and principles), and their ability to use these skills in assessing other people’s arguments, making decisions and constructing their own reasoning to the kinds of ethical problems a scientist is likely to encounter; | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | I. Introduction to Moral Reasoning 1. Ethics - the basics 1.1 What ethics is not… 1.2 Recognising an ethical issue (awareness) 1.3 What is ethics? Personal, cultural and ethical values, principles and norms 1.4 Ethics: a classification 1.5 Research Ethics: what is it and why is it important? 2. Normative Ethics 2.1 What is normative ethics? 2.2 Types of normative theories – three different ways of thinking about ethics: Virtue theories, duty-based theories, consequentialist theories 2.3 The plurality of normative theories (moral pluralism); 2.4 Roles of normative theories in “Research Ethics” 3. Decision making: How to solve a moral dilemma 3.1 How (not) to approach ethical issues 3.2 What is a moral dilemma? Is there a correct method for answering moral questions? 3.3 Methods of making ethical decisions 3.4 Is there a "right" answer? II. Research Ethics - Internal responsibilities 1. Integrity in research and research misconduct 1.1 What is research integrity and why is it important? 1.2 What is research misconduct? 1.3 Questionable/Detrimental Research Practice (QRP/DRP) 1.4 What is the incidence of misconduct? 1.5 What are the factors that lead to misconduct? 1.6 Responding to research wrongdoing 1.7 The process of dealing with misconduct 1.8 Approaches to misconduct prevention and for promoting integrity in research 2. Data Management 2.1 Data collection and recordkeeping 2.2 Analysis and selection of data 2.3 The (mis)representation of data 2.4 ownership of data 2.5 Retention of data 2.6 Sharing of data (open research data) 2.7 The ethics of big data 3. Publication ethics / Responsible publishing 3.1 Background 3.2 Criteria for being an author 3.3 Ordering of authors 3.4 Publication practices III. Research Ethics – External responsibilities 1. Research involving human subjects 1.1 History of research with human subjects 1.2 Basic ethical principles – The Belmont Report 1.3 Requirements to make clinical research ethical 1.4 Social value and scientific validity 1.5 Selection of study participants – the concept of vulnerability 1.6 Favourable risk-benefit ratio 1.7 Independent review - Ethics Committees 1.8 Informed consent 1.9 Respect for potential and enrolled participants 2. Social responsibility 2.1 What is social responsibility? a) Social responsibility of the individual scientist b) Social responsibility of the scientific community as a whole; 2.2 Participation in public discussions: a) Debate & Dialogue b) Communicating risks & uncertainties c) Science and the media 2.3 Public advocacy (policy making) 3. Dual use research 3.1 Introduction to Dual use research 3.2 Case study – Censuring science? 3.3 Transmission studies for avian flu (H5N1) 3.4 Synthetic biology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course material (handouts, case studies, exercises, surveys and papers) will be available during the lectures and on the course homepage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | What are the requirements? First and foremost your strong willingness to seriously achieve the main learning outcomes as indicated in the Course Catalogue (specific learning outcomes for each module will be provided at the beginning of the course). For successfully completing the course Research Ethics, the following commitment is absolutely necessary (but not sufficient) (observed success factors for many years!): 1. Your regular presence is absolutely required (so please no double, parallel enrollment for courses taking place at the identical time!) connected with your active participation during class, e.g. taking notes, contributing to discussions (in group as well as in plenary class), solving exercises. 2. Having the willingness and availability of the necessary time for regularly preparing the class (at least 1 hour per week, probably even more…). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-01L | The Role of Intellectual Property in the Engineering and Technical Sector Particularly suitable for students of D-BAUG, D-BIOL, D-BSSE, D-CHAB, D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | K. Houshang Pour Islam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture gives an overview of the fundamental aspects of intellectual property, which plays an important role in the daily routine of engineers and scientists. The lecture aims to make participants aware of the various methods of protection and to put them in a position to use this knowledge in the workplace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In recent years, knowledge about intellectual property has become increasingly important for engineers and scientists. Both in production and distribution and in research and development, they are increasingly being confronted with questions concerning the patenting of technical inventions and the use of patent information. The lecture will acquaint participants with practical aspects of intellectual property and enable them to use the acquired knowledge in their future professional life. Topics covered during the lecture will include: - The importance of innovation in industrialised countries - An overview of the different forms of intellectual property - The protection of technical inventions and how to safeguard their commercialisation - Patents as a source of technical and business information - Practical aspects of intellectual property in day-to-day research, at the workplace and for the formation of start-ups. Case studies will illustrate and deepen the topics addressed during the lecture. The seminar will include practical exercises on how to use and search patent information. Basic knowledge of how to read and evaluate patent documents as well as how to use publicly available patent databases to obtain the required patent information will also be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture addresses students in the fields of engineering, science and other related technical fields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0732-06L | Law & Tech | W | 3 credits | 2S | A. Stremitzer, J. Merane | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces students to scientific and technological developments that require regulation or enable legal innovation. We focus particularly on the challenges to current law posed by prominent near-future technologies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course is intended for a wide range of ETH students as well as for law students interested in acquiring a better understanding of state-of-the-art technology. The course will combine both an overview of major areas of law that are relevant for the regulation of technology and guest lectures on new technological developments. In previous years, speakers from industry (Google, Youtube), NGOs (Digital Society Switzerland, The European Consumer Organizations), regulatory agencies (Swiss Competition Commission), and academia participated as guest speakers. The course is open to ETH students through the Science in Perspective program of the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The planned course outline is below. - Overview of Law and Technology - Fundamental Rights - AI & Discrimination - Landmark Big Tech Cases - Regulation of Digital Platforms & Content Moderation - Online Consumer Protection - Law and Tech Scholarship Series A number of recent regulations will be discussed, including the EU's AI Act, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as emerging internet phenomena, like ChatGPT and the Metaverse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 376-1661-00L | Ethics of Life Sciences and Biotechnology | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Blasimme, E. Vayena | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This semester course enables students to recognize, anticipate and address ethical issues in the domain of health sciences and their technological application. The students will acquire the necessary theoretical and analytic resources to develop critical thinking skills in the field of applied ethics and will practice how to use such resources to address concrete ethical issues in health sciences | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course is tailored to students who want to become familiar with the analysis of ethical issues in all the different domains of life sciences and biotechnology. The course aims at equipping students with the necessary knowledge and analytic skills to understand, discuss and address the ethical aspects of science and technology in the domain of human health. The specific learning objectives of this course are: A. Identify ethical issues in in life sciences and biotechnology. B. Analyze and critically discuss ethical issues in life sciences and biotechnology. C. Become aware of relevant legal and public policy frameworks. D. Distinguish different ethical approaches and argumentative strategies in applied ethics. E. Recognize how ethical issues relate to different accounts of technology and innovation. F. Develop a personal and critical attitude towards the ethical aspects of life sciences and their technological application. G. Autonomously anticipate ethical issues. H. Propose and communicate solutions to ethical challenges and dilemmas. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course starts off with an introductory lecture on ethics as a discipline and an overview of the most relevant approaches in the domain of applied ethics. The students will also be introduced to current theoretical accounts of technology and will start to appreciate the relevance of ethics especially with respect to new and emerging technologies. Usable analytic tools will also be provided, thus enabling the students to engage with the discipline in a practical way from the very onset of the semester. The course will continue with thematic sessions covering a broad variety of topics all of which are relevant to the different study tracks offered by the department. In particular, the course will cover the following domains: digital health technologies and medical AI; food, nutrition and healthy longevity; biomedical engineering; genetics; neuroscience and Neurotechnologies; medical robotics; disability and rehabilitation; environmental ethics. The course will also include sessions on cross-cutting ethically relevant aspects of health sciences and technologies, namely: access to innovation, translational research, and the relation between science and public policy. All the topics of the course will be illustrated and interactively discussed through many case studies, offering the students the opportunity to prepare and present them, and to use them in individual as well as group exercises. Throughout the course, the students will have multiple opportunities to experiment with ethical argumentation and to practice their evolving skills. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0012-00L | Technology, Development, and Colonialism in the Age of Empire (c. 1800–1950) | W | 3 credits | 2S | E. Valdameri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the manifold interconnections existing between technology, development and colonialism in the period between c. 1800 and 1950. Central to this seminar is the development of technologies such as means of transportation, architecture, passports, torture techniques in relation to the colonial experience, decolonisation and development, especially in Asian and African settings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be able to a) develop new perspectives on their core subjects by bringing them in dialogue with the themes dealt with and raising ethical questions; b) familiarise with relevant topics examined by recent scholarship in the specific context of colonialism; c) think critically of the present through a better understanding of technology and development and their relationship with power. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Students learn the history of technology and development from around 1800 to 1950 through examples taking into account theoretical texts and empirical case studies from the relevant multidisciplinary scholarship with a special, albeit not exclusive, focus on colonial contexts in Asia and Africa. More specifically, students are sensitized to the historical, political and cultural variabilities of technology and development beyond their supposedly objective rationale and within discourses of so-called civilising and modernising missions. The course is structured thematically, adopts a multidisciplinary approach, and uses academic texts as well as concrete examples. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D-BSSE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0738-01L | The Role of Intellectual Property in the Engineering and Technical Sector Particularly suitable for students of D-BAUG, D-BIOL, D-BSSE, D-CHAB, D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | K. Houshang Pour Islam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture gives an overview of the fundamental aspects of intellectual property, which plays an important role in the daily routine of engineers and scientists. The lecture aims to make participants aware of the various methods of protection and to put them in a position to use this knowledge in the workplace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In recent years, knowledge about intellectual property has become increasingly important for engineers and scientists. Both in production and distribution and in research and development, they are increasingly being confronted with questions concerning the patenting of technical inventions and the use of patent information. The lecture will acquaint participants with practical aspects of intellectual property and enable them to use the acquired knowledge in their future professional life. Topics covered during the lecture will include: - The importance of innovation in industrialised countries - An overview of the different forms of intellectual property - The protection of technical inventions and how to safeguard their commercialisation - Patents as a source of technical and business information - Practical aspects of intellectual property in day-to-day research, at the workplace and for the formation of start-ups. Case studies will illustrate and deepen the topics addressed during the lecture. The seminar will include practical exercises on how to use and search patent information. Basic knowledge of how to read and evaluate patent documents as well as how to use publicly available patent databases to obtain the required patent information will also be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture addresses students in the fields of engineering, science and other related technical fields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D-CHAB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0180-00L | Research Ethics Does not take place this semester. Particularly suitable for students of D-BIOL, D-CHAB, D-HEST | W | 2 credits | 2G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students are able to identify and critically evaluate moral arguments, to analyse and to solve moral dilemmas considering different normative perspectives and to create their own well-justified reasoning for taking decisions to the kind of ethical problems a scientist is likely to encounter during the different phases of biomedical research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants of the course Research Ethics will • Develop an understanding of the role of certain moral concepts, principles and normative theories related to scientific research; • Improve their moral reasoning skills (such as identifying and evaluating reasons, conclusions, assumptions, analogies, concepts and principles), and their ability to use these skills in assessing other people’s arguments, making decisions and constructing their own reasoning to the kinds of ethical problems a scientist is likely to encounter; | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | I. Introduction to Moral Reasoning 1. Ethics - the basics 1.1 What ethics is not… 1.2 Recognising an ethical issue (awareness) 1.3 What is ethics? Personal, cultural and ethical values, principles and norms 1.4 Ethics: a classification 1.5 Research Ethics: what is it and why is it important? 2. Normative Ethics 2.1 What is normative ethics? 2.2 Types of normative theories – three different ways of thinking about ethics: Virtue theories, duty-based theories, consequentialist theories 2.3 The plurality of normative theories (moral pluralism); 2.4 Roles of normative theories in “Research Ethics” 3. Decision making: How to solve a moral dilemma 3.1 How (not) to approach ethical issues 3.2 What is a moral dilemma? Is there a correct method for answering moral questions? 3.3 Methods of making ethical decisions 3.4 Is there a "right" answer? II. Research Ethics - Internal responsibilities 1. Integrity in research and research misconduct 1.1 What is research integrity and why is it important? 1.2 What is research misconduct? 1.3 Questionable/Detrimental Research Practice (QRP/DRP) 1.4 What is the incidence of misconduct? 1.5 What are the factors that lead to misconduct? 1.6 Responding to research wrongdoing 1.7 The process of dealing with misconduct 1.8 Approaches to misconduct prevention and for promoting integrity in research 2. Data Management 2.1 Data collection and recordkeeping 2.2 Analysis and selection of data 2.3 The (mis)representation of data 2.4 ownership of data 2.5 Retention of data 2.6 Sharing of data (open research data) 2.7 The ethics of big data 3. Publication ethics / Responsible publishing 3.1 Background 3.2 Criteria for being an author 3.3 Ordering of authors 3.4 Publication practices III. Research Ethics – External responsibilities 1. Research involving human subjects 1.1 History of research with human subjects 1.2 Basic ethical principles – The Belmont Report 1.3 Requirements to make clinical research ethical 1.4 Social value and scientific validity 1.5 Selection of study participants – the concept of vulnerability 1.6 Favourable risk-benefit ratio 1.7 Independent review - Ethics Committees 1.8 Informed consent 1.9 Respect for potential and enrolled participants 2. Social responsibility 2.1 What is social responsibility? a) Social responsibility of the individual scientist b) Social responsibility of the scientific community as a whole; 2.2 Participation in public discussions: a) Debate & Dialogue b) Communicating risks & uncertainties c) Science and the media 2.3 Public advocacy (policy making) 3. Dual use research 3.1 Introduction to Dual use research 3.2 Case study – Censuring science? 3.3 Transmission studies for avian flu (H5N1) 3.4 Synthetic biology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course material (handouts, case studies, exercises, surveys and papers) will be available during the lectures and on the course homepage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | What are the requirements? First and foremost your strong willingness to seriously achieve the main learning outcomes as indicated in the Course Catalogue (specific learning outcomes for each module will be provided at the beginning of the course). For successfully completing the course Research Ethics, the following commitment is absolutely necessary (but not sufficient) (observed success factors for many years!): 1. Your regular presence is absolutely required (so please no double, parallel enrollment for courses taking place at the identical time!) connected with your active participation during class, e.g. taking notes, contributing to discussions (in group as well as in plenary class), solving exercises. 2. Having the willingness and availability of the necessary time for regularly preparing the class (at least 1 hour per week, probably even more…). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-00L | Contract Design I You can find all course materials and the most recent announcements on Moodle. Please log in to Moodle using your ETH or UZH credentials. Then search for "Contract Design I (851-0742-00L; Fall 2023)" and enroll. The password is "ContractDesign01". It is NOT a legal drafting class focused on contractual language. Number of participants limited to 160. Max 80 ETHZ and 80 UZH Students | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer, A. Tacconelli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design I is taught by Professor Stremitzer and aims to bridge the gap between economic contract theory, contract law, and the writing of real-world contracts. In this course, we take a systematic approach to contract design. This means we first analyze the economic environment in which a transaction takes place and then engineer contracts that achieve the desired outcome. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Contracts are agreements between parties to engage in transactions. A good contract creates value by giving parties the right incentives to meet their objectives. A good contract designer scrutinizes the economic situation in which parties find themselves and tailors the contract to the challenges at hand. To help you become sophisticated contract designers, we draw from insights for which more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes were awarded in the past two decades and transfer them to the art of writing real-world contracts. In other words, Contract Design will provide you with analytical tools to design contracts that help you be better lawyers, business leaders, and startup founders. We will cover topics such as moral hazard, adverse selection, elicitation mechanisms, relationship-specific investments, and relational contracting and apply the theoretical insights to real-life case studies ranging from purchases & sales of assets, oil & gas exploration, movie financing, production & distribution, construction & development, M&A deals, venture capital financing, to executive compensation and many other types of transactions. The course follows a flipped-classroom model: You will watch learning videos specifically produced for this course ahead of class. We will use class time to discuss real-world case studies. The videos will be made available before the lecture each week and need to be watched ahead of coming to class. Computer-graded quizzes at the beginning of each class will test students’ understanding of the concepts introduced in the videos. As the emphasis of this class is on class discussion, attendance is mandatory. Absent important reasons, you cannot miss class more than twice. The lectures will be recorded but only made available to those who miss lectures with excused absence. For ETH students: Your grade will consist of two parts: 1) You will take weekly computer-based quizzes during class time. Thus, it is important that you attend the lectures to be able to finish the quizzes and pass this course. 2) You compose short responses to take-home questions on case studies we assign and upload them ahead of class (Pass/Fail). Note that UZH and UNISG students enrolling in this course need to earn more ECTS for completing this course than ETH students (due to curricula reasons). This is why UZH and UNISG students must complete a written assignment in addition to the weekly quizzes and take-home questions. UZH students also have to complete an additional group project. UZH and UNISG students should check out the description of the class at their respective home institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts, prerecorded videos, slides, case studies, and other materials available on a dedicated webpage: contractdesign.org. Access to this webpage is free of charge for ETH students as ETH purchased a license for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Attendance is mandatory. You are only allowed to miss two lectures unless there are special circumstances. Contract Design I is available to ETH students through the Science in Perspective (SiP) Program of D-GESS. This course is particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-CHAB, DMATH, D-MTEC, D-INFK, and D-MAVT. If you have any questions regarding the course, please write an email to the teaching assistants, Lucas Gericke (lucas.gericke@gess.ethz.ch) or Serge von Steiger (serge.vonsteiger@gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-00L | Intellectual Property: Introduction Particularly suitable for students of D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D- MATL, D-MTEC. | W | 2 credits | 2V | M. Schweizer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course provides an introduction to Swiss and European intellectual property law (trademarks, copyright, patent and design rights). The legal principles are developed based on current cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of this course is to enable students at ETH Zurich to recognize which rights may protect their creations, and which rights may be infringed as a result of their activities. Students should learn to assess the risks and opportunities of intellectual property rights in the development and marketing of new products. To put them in this position, they need to know the prerequisites and scope of protection afforded by the various intellectual property rights as well as the practical difficulties involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This knowledge is imparted based on current rulings and cases. Another goal is to enable the students to participate in the current debate over the goals and desirability of protecting intellectual creations, particularly in the areas of copyright (keywords: fair use, Creative Commons, Copyleft) and patent law (software patents, patent trolls, patent thickets). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0738-01L | The Role of Intellectual Property in the Engineering and Technical Sector Particularly suitable for students of D-BAUG, D-BIOL, D-BSSE, D-CHAB, D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | K. Houshang Pour Islam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture gives an overview of the fundamental aspects of intellectual property, which plays an important role in the daily routine of engineers and scientists. The lecture aims to make participants aware of the various methods of protection and to put them in a position to use this knowledge in the workplace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In recent years, knowledge about intellectual property has become increasingly important for engineers and scientists. Both in production and distribution and in research and development, they are increasingly being confronted with questions concerning the patenting of technical inventions and the use of patent information. The lecture will acquaint participants with practical aspects of intellectual property and enable them to use the acquired knowledge in their future professional life. Topics covered during the lecture will include: - The importance of innovation in industrialised countries - An overview of the different forms of intellectual property - The protection of technical inventions and how to safeguard their commercialisation - Patents as a source of technical and business information - Practical aspects of intellectual property in day-to-day research, at the workplace and for the formation of start-ups. Case studies will illustrate and deepen the topics addressed during the lecture. The seminar will include practical exercises on how to use and search patent information. Basic knowledge of how to read and evaluate patent documents as well as how to use publicly available patent databases to obtain the required patent information will also be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture addresses students in the fields of engineering, science and other related technical fields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-01L | Contract Design II Does not take place this semester. To be considered for Contract Design II, you must have completed Contract Design I in the same semester. Students can only register for Contract Design II after having obtained approval by Prof. Stremitzer. | W | 1 credit | 1U | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design II is a masterclass in the form of an interactive clinic that allows you to deepen your understanding of contracting by applying insights from Contract Design I to a comprehensive case study. Together with your classmates, you are going to advise a (hypothetical) client organization planning to enter a complex transaction on how to structure the underlying contract. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | There is a possibility that representatives from companies that were previously engaged in similar deals will visit us in class and tell you about their experience firsthand. In Contract Design I, you will receive more detailed information on the content and learning objectives of Contract Design II. If you have urgent questions, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Professor Stremitzer’s Teaching Assistant Diego Caldera (diegoalberto.calderaherrera@uzh.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To enable you to work under the close supervision of your professor and his team, only a small group of students with backgrounds in law, business, or engineering is admitted to this course. This simulation is time-consuming and challenging. Hence, we can only admit the most successful and motivated students to this class. Further information on the application process will follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0251-00L | Psychedelic Science: Psychology, Pharmacology, Physiology Psychotherapy, Philosophy | W | 3 credits | 2V | K. Stocker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This lecture series covers psychedelic science mainly psychologically, and additionally pharmacologically, physiologically, psychiatrically/psychotherapeutically, and philosophically. All contributions will also be reflected on from the viewpoint of the humanities and psychology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To provide students with a multidisciplinary introduction to psychedelic science, and to also comprehensively embed this in a reflection from a humanities/psychology viewpoint. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Psychedelic science is a multidisciplinary field of study that involves scholars of the mind and scholars of the natural sciences. In this course, psychedelic science is presented mainly from the point of view of psychology, but will additionally also be considered from the viewpoints of pharmacology, physiology, psychiatrypsychotherapy, and philosophy. All non-psychological contributions will also be reflected on from the viewpoint of the humanities and psychology. The psychedelic studies treated in this course that involve humans focus on controlled and ethically approved studies where these substances are administered to medically screened, prepared, and supported participants. Privateillicit use of psychedelics is not a topic of this course. A psychedelic experience can be characterized as a temporary nonordinary state of consciousness (NSC) that is occasioned by classic (serotonergic) psychedelics such as psilocybin, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Psychologically, the psychedelic experience can mainly manifest at the perceptual, cognitive, affective, volitional, and somesthetic level. The nonordinary perceptual spectrum ranges from visions (e.g., patterns or beings) to the subjective experience of an all-encompassing oneness, which also transcends the distinction between the perceiver and the perceived. The nonordinary cognitive spectrum ranges from no longer functionable thinking to very clear thinking, the nonordinary affective spectrum, for example, from deepest sadness to highest bliss, the nonordinary volitional spectrum from the feeling of being able to somewhat influence what is happening to the feeling of having no longer a will of one’s own, and the nonordinary somesthetic spectrum, for example, from feelings of bodily heavinesscompression to feelings of bodily lightnessfloating. Heuristically, as one possibility, a psychological typology of the psychedelic experience can be characterized to fall into three main types religious-like experiences (which may be interpreted religiouslyspiritually by the individuals having them, but may also be interpreted materialistically or agnostically), autobiographical experiences, and tripartite-mind (cognitionaffectconation) miscellaneous experiences. Investigating the psychedelic experience is a worthwhile endeavor as, for instance, certain aspects of this experience have been associated with increased subjective well-being both for healthy individuals as well as for patients – for example, persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior in healthy individuals and sustained symptom reduction in individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, and addiction. Psychedelic science is overall a large multidisciplinary effort that requires collaboration of scholars of the mind and scholars of the natural sciences to advance the scientific knowledge of it. In this spirit, this course will – besides the main lecturer (PD Dr. phil. Kurt Stocker, a psychologist) – also involve further psychedelic-scientific scholars giving individual lectures in their respective field of expertise psychology (PD Dr. phil. Katrin Preller, University of Zurich & Yale University), pharmacology (Dr. phil. nat. Dino Luethi, University Hospital Basel; Dr. phil. nat. Deborah Rudin, University Hospital Basel; Prof. Dr. phil. Linda Simmler, University of Basel), physiology (PD Dr. sc. nat. Felix Scholkmann, University of Zurich & University of Bern), psychiatrypsychotherapy (Prof. Dr. med. Gregor Hasler, University of Fribourg; Dr. med. Dr. sc. ETH Milan Scheidegger, University of Zurich), and philosophy (Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, University of Exeter). Overall, this course will provide an informative overview of the research foundations that have made psychedelic science what it is today, and will also provide an identification of the research frontiers that must be addressed to expand the psychedelic science of tomorrow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 701-0703-00L | Environmental Ethics (University of Zurich) No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH as an incoming student. UZH Module Code: 07SMEEE266 Please register at: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/de/studies/application/chmobilityin.html after you received your logon information you can enrol to courses at: https://studentservices.uzh.ch/uzh/application#/Logon Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/studies/application/deadlines.html | W | 3 credits | 2V | University lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The pressing environmental challenges of today demand a critical reflection. Ethics is an important tool for doing so. This lecture introduces the basics of ethics and provides in-depth knowledge of environmental ethics and its debates. This theoretical background will be applied and critically reflected using examples of current environmental challenges. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | On completion of this lecture, you have acquired the ability to identify, analyze, critically reflect and resolve ethical challenges in general and specifically regarding the environment. You know basic concepts, positions and lines of argumentation from the debate in environmental ethics, which you have applied and discussed in smaller exercises. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0012-00L | Cooperation and Conflict Over International Water Resources Does not take place this semester. This lecture is no longer offered from the autumn semester of 2023. | W | 3 credits | 2G | T. Bernauer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course focuses on the technical, economic, and political challenges of dealing with water allocation and pollution problems in large international river systems. It examines ways and means through which such challenges are or can be addressed, and when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Ability to (1) understand the causes and consequences of water scarcity and water pollution problems in large international river systems; (2) understand ways and means of addressing such water challenges; and (3) analyse when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The first six meetings serve to acquire basic knowledge on the science and politics of international water management. This will be followed by five meetings that focus on specific cases (international river systems) and a meeting where we discuss what can be learned from the five cases. For this part of the class we have invited several colleagues with long-standing expertise on the respective international river basin. 20.Sep Global water challenges 27.Sep Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us 04.Oct Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us 11.Oct Water pollution and its mitigation 18.Oct Key challenges in international river systems 25.Oct Key challenges in international river systems 01.Nov Case study 1: Yarmuk 08.Nov Case study 2: Mekong 15.Nov Case study 3: Colorado 22.Nov Case study 4: Nile 29.Nov Case study 5: Central Asia 06.Dec Wrap up: what we can learn from these case studies 13.Dec Exam 20.Dec No class Exam: 3 ECTS, based on grade ≥ 4.0 in written test at the end of the semester. 90 minutes; 13 December 2022, 12:15 – 13:45; same room as the course. The exam covers the mandatory reading assignments as well as lectures and discussion parts in class. The exam will consist of around ten questions that require answers in a few sentences each. Permitted supporting material: dictionary, ink-based pen, no laptops, no mobile phones, no calculators, no printed or hand-written material. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Slides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course is open to Master and doctoral students from any area of ETH. Limited to 40 students. Most meetings will take place on campus, with no recording of meetings. Participation in this course only makes sense if you can attend classes regularly in person. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0180-00L | Research Ethics Does not take place this semester. Particularly suitable for students of D-BIOL, D-CHAB, D-HEST | W | 2 credits | 2G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Students are able to identify and critically evaluate moral arguments, to analyse and to solve moral dilemmas considering different normative perspectives and to create their own well-justified reasoning for taking decisions to the kind of ethical problems a scientist is likely to encounter during the different phases of biomedical research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants of the course Research Ethics will • Develop an understanding of the role of certain moral concepts, principles and normative theories related to scientific research; • Improve their moral reasoning skills (such as identifying and evaluating reasons, conclusions, assumptions, analogies, concepts and principles), and their ability to use these skills in assessing other people’s arguments, making decisions and constructing their own reasoning to the kinds of ethical problems a scientist is likely to encounter; | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | I. Introduction to Moral Reasoning 1. Ethics - the basics 1.1 What ethics is not… 1.2 Recognising an ethical issue (awareness) 1.3 What is ethics? Personal, cultural and ethical values, principles and norms 1.4 Ethics: a classification 1.5 Research Ethics: what is it and why is it important? 2. Normative Ethics 2.1 What is normative ethics? 2.2 Types of normative theories – three different ways of thinking about ethics: Virtue theories, duty-based theories, consequentialist theories 2.3 The plurality of normative theories (moral pluralism); 2.4 Roles of normative theories in “Research Ethics” 3. Decision making: How to solve a moral dilemma 3.1 How (not) to approach ethical issues 3.2 What is a moral dilemma? Is there a correct method for answering moral questions? 3.3 Methods of making ethical decisions 3.4 Is there a "right" answer? II. Research Ethics - Internal responsibilities 1. Integrity in research and research misconduct 1.1 What is research integrity and why is it important? 1.2 What is research misconduct? 1.3 Questionable/Detrimental Research Practice (QRP/DRP) 1.4 What is the incidence of misconduct? 1.5 What are the factors that lead to misconduct? 1.6 Responding to research wrongdoing 1.7 The process of dealing with misconduct 1.8 Approaches to misconduct prevention and for promoting integrity in research 2. Data Management 2.1 Data collection and recordkeeping 2.2 Analysis and selection of data 2.3 The (mis)representation of data 2.4 ownership of data 2.5 Retention of data 2.6 Sharing of data (open research data) 2.7 The ethics of big data 3. Publication ethics / Responsible publishing 3.1 Background 3.2 Criteria for being an author 3.3 Ordering of authors 3.4 Publication practices III. Research Ethics – External responsibilities 1. Research involving human subjects 1.1 History of research with human subjects 1.2 Basic ethical principles – The Belmont Report 1.3 Requirements to make clinical research ethical 1.4 Social value and scientific validity 1.5 Selection of study participants – the concept of vulnerability 1.6 Favourable risk-benefit ratio 1.7 Independent review - Ethics Committees 1.8 Informed consent 1.9 Respect for potential and enrolled participants 2. Social responsibility 2.1 What is social responsibility? a) Social responsibility of the individual scientist b) Social responsibility of the scientific community as a whole; 2.2 Participation in public discussions: a) Debate & Dialogue b) Communicating risks & uncertainties c) Science and the media 2.3 Public advocacy (policy making) 3. Dual use research 3.1 Introduction to Dual use research 3.2 Case study – Censuring science? 3.3 Transmission studies for avian flu (H5N1) 3.4 Synthetic biology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course material (handouts, case studies, exercises, surveys and papers) will be available during the lectures and on the course homepage. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | What are the requirements? First and foremost your strong willingness to seriously achieve the main learning outcomes as indicated in the Course Catalogue (specific learning outcomes for each module will be provided at the beginning of the course). For successfully completing the course Research Ethics, the following commitment is absolutely necessary (but not sufficient) (observed success factors for many years!): 1. Your regular presence is absolutely required (so please no double, parallel enrollment for courses taking place at the identical time!) connected with your active participation during class, e.g. taking notes, contributing to discussions (in group as well as in plenary class), solving exercises. 2. Having the willingness and availability of the necessary time for regularly preparing the class (at least 1 hour per week, probably even more…). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0745-00L | Ethics Workshop: The Impact of Digital Life on Society Open to all Master level / PhD students. | W | 2 credits | 2S | E. Vayena, A. Blasimme, A. Ferretti, J. Sleigh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This workshop focuses on understanding and managing the ethical and social issues arising from the integration of new technologies in various aspects of daily life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | - Explain relevant concepts in ethics. - Evaluate the ethical dimensions of new technology uses. - Identify impacted stakeholders and who is ethically responsible. - Engage constructively in the public discourse relating to new technology impacts. - Review tools and resources currently available that facilitate resolutions and ethical practice. - Work in a more ethically reflective way. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The workshop offers students an experience that trains their ability for critical analysis and develops awareness of responsibilities as a researcher, consumer and citizen. Learning will occur in the context of three intensive workshop days, which are highly interactive and focus on the development and application of reasoning skills. The workshop will begin with some fundamentals: the nature of ethics, of consent and big data, of AI ethics, public trust and health ethics. Students will then be introduced to key ethical concepts such as fairness, autonomy, trust, accountability, justice, as well different ways of reasoning about the ethics of digital technologies. A range of practical problems and issues in the domains of education, media, society, digital health and justice will be then considered. These domains are represented respectively by unique and interesting case studies. Each case study has been selected not only for its timely and engaging nature, but also for its relevance. Through the analysis of these case studies key ethical questions (such as fairness, accountability, explainability, access etc.) will be highlighted and questions of responsibility and tools for ethical practice will be explored. Throughout, the emphasis will be on learning to make sound arguments about the ethical aspects of policy, practice and research. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0391-00L | Focus on the Human: Human-Centered Security and Privacy Lab The course is particularly suitable for all students who have already completed the course “Human-centered IT Security and Privacy” as some of the concepts introduced will practically be applied in this course. However, the relevant literature and necessary material will be provided to all students and basic concepts will be briefly summarized so that all interested students can participate. | W | 3 credits | 2S | V. Zimmermann, L. Schöni | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | After an introduction on usable security as the intersection of computer science and psychology, students will form teams and work on exemplary security- or privacy-related research questions. The teams will develop and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution. Through input sessions and milestone presentations the human perspective will be incorporated and reflected upon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course makes students experience an exemplary human-centered design process. They will learn about and practically apply human-centered design and evaluation methods that will allow them to view their solution from the human perspective, e.g., the user, developer or website owner perspective. By taking part in the evaluation of other teams, they will also take the user perspective themselves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | At the beginning of the course, the students will receive an introduction to usable IT security and privacy and relevant concepts. Afterwards, a selection of current research questions from that area will be presented. The students form teams and select one of the proposed research questions. This question will accompany the students throughout the semester. They will design and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution to that question. To be able to do so, they will receive input on human-centered design and evaluation tools. Their progress and the inclusion of the human perspective will be subject to feedback in milestone presentations. The students’ human-centered solution can take the form of a concept (e.g., a concept for a product or app), interface (e.g., a visual or tangible interface), or prototype (e.g., sketches, a click-dummy or a built prototype). The solution will then be subject to evaluations. The solutions will be user-tested by members of other teams that thereby take the perspective of a user themselves. In addition, the solutions will be analyzed from different stakeholders’ perspectives, such as developers or website owners. Finally, the students will reflect on potential changes that results from the evaluations and their consequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature Recommendations: Adams, A., & Sasse, M. A. (1999). Users are not the enemy. Communications of the ACM, 42(12), 40-46. Cranor, L. F., & Garfinkel, S. (2005). Security and usability: designing secure systems that people can use. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.". Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2017). Psychologie in der nutzerzentrierten Produktgestaltung: Mensch-Technik-Interaktion-Erlebnis. Springer-Verlag. Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2010). Handbuch zur Fun-ni Toolbox–User Experience Evaluation auf drei Ebenen. Dix, A., & Finlay, J., Abowd, G., Beale, R. (2004). Human-computer interaction. Pearson - PRENTICE HALL. Garfinkel, S., & Lipford, H. R. (2014). Usable security: History, themes, and challenges. Synthesis Lectures on Information Security, Privacy, and Trust, 5(2), 1-124. Nielsen, J. (1999). Designing web usability: The practice of simplicity. New Riders Publishing. Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books (AZ). Reuter, C. (2018). Sicherheitskritische Mensch-Computer-Interaktion. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Sarodnick, F., & Brau, H. (2006). Methoden der Usability Evaluation. Verlag Hans Huber. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course is especially recommended after having participated in the related lecture/exercise "851-0390-00 G Human-Centered IT Security and Privacy". However, previous participantion in the lecture is not a requirement. Additional material will be made available so that also students with no prior knowledge in that area can participate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0012-00L | Technology, Development, and Colonialism in the Age of Empire (c. 1800–1950) | W | 3 credits | 2S | E. Valdameri | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the manifold interconnections existing between technology, development and colonialism in the period between c. 1800 and 1950. Central to this seminar is the development of technologies such as means of transportation, architecture, passports, torture techniques in relation to the colonial experience, decolonisation and development, especially in Asian and African settings. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be able to a) develop new perspectives on their core subjects by bringing them in dialogue with the themes dealt with and raising ethical questions; b) familiarise with relevant topics examined by recent scholarship in the specific context of colonialism; c) think critically of the present through a better understanding of technology and development and their relationship with power. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Students learn the history of technology and development from around 1800 to 1950 through examples taking into account theoretical texts and empirical case studies from the relevant multidisciplinary scholarship with a special, albeit not exclusive, focus on colonial contexts in Asia and Africa. More specifically, students are sensitized to the historical, political and cultural variabilities of technology and development beyond their supposedly objective rationale and within discourses of so-called civilising and modernising missions. The course is structured thematically, adopts a multidisciplinary approach, and uses academic texts as well as concrete examples. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0251-00L | Psychedelic Science: Psychology, Pharmacology, Physiology Psychotherapy, Philosophy | W | 3 credits | 2V | K. Stocker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This lecture series covers psychedelic science mainly psychologically, and additionally pharmacologically, physiologically, psychiatrically/psychotherapeutically, and philosophically. All contributions will also be reflected on from the viewpoint of the humanities and psychology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To provide students with a multidisciplinary introduction to psychedelic science, and to also comprehensively embed this in a reflection from a humanities/psychology viewpoint. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Psychedelic science is a multidisciplinary field of study that involves scholars of the mind and scholars of the natural sciences. In this course, psychedelic science is presented mainly from the point of view of psychology, but will additionally also be considered from the viewpoints of pharmacology, physiology, psychiatrypsychotherapy, and philosophy. All non-psychological contributions will also be reflected on from the viewpoint of the humanities and psychology. The psychedelic studies treated in this course that involve humans focus on controlled and ethically approved studies where these substances are administered to medically screened, prepared, and supported participants. Privateillicit use of psychedelics is not a topic of this course. A psychedelic experience can be characterized as a temporary nonordinary state of consciousness (NSC) that is occasioned by classic (serotonergic) psychedelics such as psilocybin, mescaline, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Psychologically, the psychedelic experience can mainly manifest at the perceptual, cognitive, affective, volitional, and somesthetic level. The nonordinary perceptual spectrum ranges from visions (e.g., patterns or beings) to the subjective experience of an all-encompassing oneness, which also transcends the distinction between the perceiver and the perceived. The nonordinary cognitive spectrum ranges from no longer functionable thinking to very clear thinking, the nonordinary affective spectrum, for example, from deepest sadness to highest bliss, the nonordinary volitional spectrum from the feeling of being able to somewhat influence what is happening to the feeling of having no longer a will of one’s own, and the nonordinary somesthetic spectrum, for example, from feelings of bodily heavinesscompression to feelings of bodily lightnessfloating. Heuristically, as one possibility, a psychological typology of the psychedelic experience can be characterized to fall into three main types religious-like experiences (which may be interpreted religiouslyspiritually by the individuals having them, but may also be interpreted materialistically or agnostically), autobiographical experiences, and tripartite-mind (cognitionaffectconation) miscellaneous experiences. Investigating the psychedelic experience is a worthwhile endeavor as, for instance, certain aspects of this experience have been associated with increased subjective well-being both for healthy individuals as well as for patients – for example, persisting positive effects on attitudes, mood, and behavior in healthy individuals and sustained symptom reduction in individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, and addiction. Psychedelic science is overall a large multidisciplinary effort that requires collaboration of scholars of the mind and scholars of the natural sciences to advance the scientific knowledge of it. In this spirit, this course will – besides the main lecturer (PD Dr. phil. Kurt Stocker, a psychologist) – also involve further psychedelic-scientific scholars giving individual lectures in their respective field of expertise psychology (PD Dr. phil. Katrin Preller, University of Zurich & Yale University), pharmacology (Dr. phil. nat. Dino Luethi, University Hospital Basel; Dr. phil. nat. Deborah Rudin, University Hospital Basel; Prof. Dr. phil. Linda Simmler, University of Basel), physiology (PD Dr. sc. nat. Felix Scholkmann, University of Zurich & University of Bern), psychiatrypsychotherapy (Prof. Dr. med. Gregor Hasler, University of Fribourg; Dr. med. Dr. sc. ETH Milan Scheidegger, University of Zurich), and philosophy (Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, University of Exeter). Overall, this course will provide an informative overview of the research foundations that have made psychedelic science what it is today, and will also provide an identification of the research frontiers that must be addressed to expand the psychedelic science of tomorrow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0125-71L | Whose Responsibility for What? On Individual and Collective Responsibility Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-HEST, D-MTEC, D-USYS Doctoral students can receive credit for the achievements of this course in the section "Transferable Skills". | W | 3 credits | 2G | L. Wingert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Responsibility is a key concept in ethics: The individual's responsibility is emphasized. Contrary to that, one often points to the limits of a person's responsibility, e.g. for a stock market crash, for greenhouse gas emissions, for injust social conditions. What belongs to to our responsibility as individuals and what to our collective responsibility? And do robots have responsibilities? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | 1. Certain concepts should be clarified: e.g., the very meaning of "being responsible for one's actions and its consequences". To what extent are we responsible for the social conditions we find ourselves in? 2. One theoretical position in the philosophy of sociality holds that only individual persons (and not firms, institutions, or states) can be responsible for action and social conditions. Students should be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this thesis (methodological individualism). 3. What does responsibility mean in special social spheres like the economy and the sciences? What does a citizen's collective and personal responsibility consist in? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0252-01L | Human-Computer Interaction: Cognition and Usability Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-INFK, D-ITET. | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Hölscher, I. Barisic, B. Davison | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will introduce key topics, theories and methodology in human-computer interaction (HCI) and usability, with a focus on applying them to real situations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Presentations will cover the basics of human-computer interaction and selected topics: ● History of HCI ● Research ethics ● Literature reviews ● Participant-free methods: cognitive walkthrough and heuristic evaluation ● Card sorting and information architecture ● Usability studies ● Unmoderated research and diary studies ● Surveys ● User Logs and metric frameworks On a weekly basis, students will conduct authentic research in class covering the topics above. They will submit their in-class research results regularly and also present their findings to the class once per semester. The final project demonstrates class topic adoption by deeply exploring one HCI problem using the covered methods and tools. Students will choose a research topic and execute their research plan. They will individually write a formal report including problem definition, literature review, methodology, findings and discussion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0742-00L | Contract Design I You can find all course materials and the most recent announcements on Moodle. Please log in to Moodle using your ETH or UZH credentials. Then search for "Contract Design I (851-0742-00L; Fall 2023)" and enroll. The password is "ContractDesign01". It is NOT a legal drafting class focused on contractual language. Number of participants limited to 160. Max 80 ETHZ and 80 UZH Students | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer, A. Tacconelli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design I is taught by Professor Stremitzer and aims to bridge the gap between economic contract theory, contract law, and the writing of real-world contracts. In this course, we take a systematic approach to contract design. This means we first analyze the economic environment in which a transaction takes place and then engineer contracts that achieve the desired outcome. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Contracts are agreements between parties to engage in transactions. A good contract creates value by giving parties the right incentives to meet their objectives. A good contract designer scrutinizes the economic situation in which parties find themselves and tailors the contract to the challenges at hand. To help you become sophisticated contract designers, we draw from insights for which more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes were awarded in the past two decades and transfer them to the art of writing real-world contracts. In other words, Contract Design will provide you with analytical tools to design contracts that help you be better lawyers, business leaders, and startup founders. We will cover topics such as moral hazard, adverse selection, elicitation mechanisms, relationship-specific investments, and relational contracting and apply the theoretical insights to real-life case studies ranging from purchases & sales of assets, oil & gas exploration, movie financing, production & distribution, construction & development, M&A deals, venture capital financing, to executive compensation and many other types of transactions. The course follows a flipped-classroom model: You will watch learning videos specifically produced for this course ahead of class. We will use class time to discuss real-world case studies. The videos will be made available before the lecture each week and need to be watched ahead of coming to class. Computer-graded quizzes at the beginning of each class will test students’ understanding of the concepts introduced in the videos. As the emphasis of this class is on class discussion, attendance is mandatory. Absent important reasons, you cannot miss class more than twice. The lectures will be recorded but only made available to those who miss lectures with excused absence. For ETH students: Your grade will consist of two parts: 1) You will take weekly computer-based quizzes during class time. Thus, it is important that you attend the lectures to be able to finish the quizzes and pass this course. 2) You compose short responses to take-home questions on case studies we assign and upload them ahead of class (Pass/Fail). Note that UZH and UNISG students enrolling in this course need to earn more ECTS for completing this course than ETH students (due to curricula reasons). This is why UZH and UNISG students must complete a written assignment in addition to the weekly quizzes and take-home questions. UZH students also have to complete an additional group project. UZH and UNISG students should check out the description of the class at their respective home institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts, prerecorded videos, slides, case studies, and other materials available on a dedicated webpage: contractdesign.org. Access to this webpage is free of charge for ETH students as ETH purchased a license for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Attendance is mandatory. You are only allowed to miss two lectures unless there are special circumstances. Contract Design I is available to ETH students through the Science in Perspective (SiP) Program of D-GESS. This course is particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-CHAB, DMATH, D-MTEC, D-INFK, and D-MAVT. If you have any questions regarding the course, please write an email to the teaching assistants, Lucas Gericke (lucas.gericke@gess.ethz.ch) or Serge von Steiger (serge.vonsteiger@gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0727-02L | E-Business-Law Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET. | W | 2 credits | 2V | D. Rosenthal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course deals with the basic legal framework for doing e-business as well as using information technology. It discusses a variety of legal concepts and rules to be taken into account in practice, be it when designing and planning new media business models, be it when implementing online projects and undertaking information technology activities. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective is knowing and understanding key legal concepts relevant for doing e-business, in particularly understanding how e-business is regulated by law nationally and internationally, how contracts are concluded and performed electronically, which rules have to be obeyed in particular in the Internet with regard to third party and own content and client data, the concept of liability applied in e-business and the role of the law in the practical implementation and operation of e-business applications. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Vorgesehene Strukturierung der Vorlesung: 1) Welches Recht gilt im E-Business? - Internationalität des Internets - Regulierte Branchen 2) Gestaltung und Vermarktung von E-Business-Angeboten - Verwendung fremder und Schutz der eigenen Inhalte - Haftung im E-Business (und wie sie beschränkt werden kann) - Domain-Namen 3) Beziehung zu E-Business-Kunden - Verträge im E-Business, Konsumentenschutz - Elektronische Signaturen - Datenschutz - Spam 4) Verträge mit E-Business-Providern Änderungen, Umstellungen und Kürzungen bleiben vorbehalten. Der aktuelle Termin- und Themenplan ist zu gegebener Zeit über Moodle abrufbar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Es wird mit Folien gearbeitet, die als PDF über Moodle vorgängig abrufbar sind. Auf dem Termin- und Themenplan (ebenfalls online abrufbar) sind Links zu Gesetzestexten und weiteren Unterlagen abrufbar. Schliesslich wird jede Vorlesung auch als Podcast aufgezeichnet, der jedoch nur für die Studierenden mit einem Passwort (erhältlich beim Dozenten) zugänglich sind. Der Termin- und Themenplan ist zu gegebener Zeit über Moodle abrufbar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Weiterführende Materialien, Links und Literatur sind auf dem Termin- und Themenplan aufgeführt (zu gegebener Zeit abrufbar via Moodle). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Die Semesterendprüfung erfolgt normalerweise in Form eines schriftlichen Kurztests (normalerweise ein MC) in der letzten Doppelstunde. Es wird angegeben, welche Unterlagen beim jeweiligen Thema den Prüfungsstoff definieren. Der Test wird möglicherweise elektronisch durchgeführt. Es gibt keinen Ersatz- oder Wiederholungstermin. Eine Remote-Teilnahme ist nicht möglich. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-00L | Intellectual Property: Introduction Particularly suitable for students of D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D- MATL, D-MTEC. | W | 2 credits | 2V | M. Schweizer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course provides an introduction to Swiss and European intellectual property law (trademarks, copyright, patent and design rights). The legal principles are developed based on current cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of this course is to enable students at ETH Zurich to recognize which rights may protect their creations, and which rights may be infringed as a result of their activities. Students should learn to assess the risks and opportunities of intellectual property rights in the development and marketing of new products. To put them in this position, they need to know the prerequisites and scope of protection afforded by the various intellectual property rights as well as the practical difficulties involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This knowledge is imparted based on current rulings and cases. Another goal is to enable the students to participate in the current debate over the goals and desirability of protecting intellectual creations, particularly in the areas of copyright (keywords: fair use, Creative Commons, Copyleft) and patent law (software patents, patent trolls, patent thickets). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-13L | Network Modeling Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK and in the MSc Data Science Students are required to have basic knowledge in inferential statistics, such as regression models. | W | 3 credits | 2G | C. Stadtfeld, A. Espinosa Rada, A. Uzaheta Berdugo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Social Network Science is a distinct domain of data science that focuses on relational systems. Various models have been proposed to describe structures and dynamics of networks, including statistical and mathematical methods. In this course, the emphasis is placed on the statistical analysis of (social) systems and their connection to social theories and data sources. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The following topics will be covered: - Introduction to network models and their applications - Stylized models: * uniform random graph models * small world models * preferential attachment models - Models for testing hypotheses while controlling for the network structure: *Quadratic assignment procedure regression (QAP regression) - Models for testing hypotheses on the network structure: * Models for one single observation of a network: exponential random graph models (ERGMs) * Models for panel network data: stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs) The application of these models is illustrated through examples and practical sessions involving the analysis of network data using the software R. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The following topics will be covered: - Introduction to network models and their applications - Stylized models: * uniform random graph models * small world models * preferential attachment models - Models for testing hypotheses while controlling for the network structure: *Quadratic assignment procedure regression (QAP regression) - Models for testing hypotheses on the network structure: * Models for one single observation of a network: exponential random graph models (ERGMs) * Models for panel network data: stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs) * Models for relational event data: dynamic network actor models (DyNAMs) The application of these models is illustrated through examples and practical sessions involving the analysis of network data using the software R. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides and lecture notes are distributed via the associated course moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | - Krackardt, D. (1987). QAP partialling as a test of spuriousness. Social networks, 9(2), 171-186. - Robins, G., Pattison, P., Kalish, Y., & Lusher, D. (2007). An introduction to exponential random graph (p*) models for social networks. Social networks, 29(2), 173-191. - Snijders, T. A. B., Van de Bunt, G. G., & Steglich, C. E. G. (2010). Introduction to stochastic actor-based models for network dynamics. Social networks, 32(1), 44-60. - Snijders, T. A. B. (2011). Statistical models for social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 37. - Stadtfeld, C., & Block, P. (2017). Interactions, actors, and time: Dynamic network actor models for relational events. Sociological Science, 4, 318-352. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students are required to have basic knowledge in inferential statistics and should be familiar with linear and logistic regression models. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-15L | Network Analysis Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-MATH. | W | 3 credits | 2V | U. Brandes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Network science is a distinct domain of data science that is characterized by a specific kind of data being studied. While areas of application range from archaeology to zoology, we concern ourselves with social networks for the most part. Emphasis is placed on descriptive and analytic approaches rather than theorizing, modeling, or data collection. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be able to identify and categorize research problems that call for network approaches while appreciating differences across application domains and contexts. They will master a suite of mathematical and computational tools, and know how to design or adapt suitable methods for analysis. In particular, they will be able to evaluate such methods in terms of appropriateness and efficiency. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The following topics will be covered with an emphasis on structural and computational approaches and frequent reference to their suitability with respect to substantive theory: * Empirical Research and Network Data * Macro and Micro Structure * Centrality * Roles * Cohesion * Influence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides and lecture notes are distributed via the associated course moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | * Hennig, Brandes, Pfeffer & Mergel (2012). Studying Social Networks. Campus-Verlag. * Borgatti, Everett & Johnson (2013). Analyzing Social Networks. Sage. * Robins (2015). Doing Social Network Research. Sage. * Menczer, Fortunato & Davis (2020). A First Course in Network Science. Cambridge University Press. * Brandes & Erlebach (2005). Network Analysis. Springer LNCS 3418. * Wasserman & Faust (1994). Social Network Analysis. Cambridge University Press. * Kadushin (2012). Understanding Social Networks. Oxford University Press. * Gërxhani, De Graaf & Raub (2023). Handbook of Sociological Science. Edward Elgar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0732-06L | Law & Tech | W | 3 credits | 2S | A. Stremitzer, J. Merane | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces students to scientific and technological developments that require regulation or enable legal innovation. We focus particularly on the challenges to current law posed by prominent near-future technologies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course is intended for a wide range of ETH students as well as for law students interested in acquiring a better understanding of state-of-the-art technology. The course will combine both an overview of major areas of law that are relevant for the regulation of technology and guest lectures on new technological developments. In previous years, speakers from industry (Google, Youtube), NGOs (Digital Society Switzerland, The European Consumer Organizations), regulatory agencies (Swiss Competition Commission), and academia participated as guest speakers. The course is open to ETH students through the Science in Perspective program of the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The planned course outline is below. - Overview of Law and Technology - Fundamental Rights - AI & Discrimination - Landmark Big Tech Cases - Regulation of Digital Platforms & Content Moderation - Online Consumer Protection - Law and Tech Scholarship Series A number of recent regulations will be discussed, including the EU's AI Act, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as emerging internet phenomena, like ChatGPT and the Metaverse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0101-86L | Complex Social Systems: Modeling Agents, Learning, and Games Prerequisites: Basic programming skills, elementary probability and statistics. | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. N. Dailisan, D. Carpentras, D. Helbing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces mathematical and computational models to study techno-socioeconomic systems and the process of scientific research. Students develop a significant project to tackle techno-socio-economic challenges in application domains of complex systems. They are expected to implement a model and to communicate their results through a project report and a short oral presentation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | See your own field of study in a wider context (“Science in Perspective”), e.g. see the psychological, social, economic, environmental, historical, ethical,or philosophical connections and implications. Learn to think critically and out of the box. Question what you believe you know for sure. Get to know surprising, counterintuitive properties of complex (non-linearly interacting, networked, multi-component) systems. Learn about collaboration. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | By the end of the course, the students should be able to better understand the literature on complex social systems, develop their own models for studying specific phenomena and report results according to the standards of the relevant scientific literature by presenting their results both numerically and graphically. At the end of the course, the students will deliver a report, computer code and a short oral presentation. To collect credit points, students will have to actively contribute and give a circa 30 minutes presentation in the course on a subject agreed with the lecturers, after which the presentation will be discussed. The presentation will be graded. Students are expected to implement themselves models of techno-socio-economic processes and systems, particularly agent-based models, complex networks models, decision making, group dynamics, human crowds, or game-theoretical models. Credit points are finally earned for the implementation of a mathematical or empirical model from the complexity science literature, its presentation, and documentation by a project report. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The lecture slides will be presented on the course Moodle after each lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Agent-Based Modeling https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-24004-1_2 Social Self-Organization https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642240034 Traffic and related self-driven many-particle systems Reviews of Modern Physics 73, 1067 https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.73.1067 An Analytical Theory of Traffic Flow (collection of papers) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261629187 Pedestrian, Crowd, and Evacuation Dynamics https://www.research-collection.ethz.ch/handle/20.500.11850/45424 The hidden geometry of complex, network-driven contagion phenomena (relevant for modeling pandemic spread) https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6164/1337 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The number of participants is limited to the size of the available computer teaching room. The source code related to the seminar thesis should be well enough documented. Good programming skills and a good understanding of probability & statistics and calculus are expected. Students need to present a new subject, for which they have not earned any credit points before. Good scientific practices, in particular citation and quotation rules, must be properly complied with. Chatham House rules apply to this course. Materials may not be shared without previous written permission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0760-00L | Building a Robot Judge: Data Science for Decision-Making Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MTEC. | W | 3 credits | 2V | E. Ash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the automation of decisions in the legal system. We delve into the machine learning tools needed to predict judge decision-making and ask whether techniques in model explanation and algorithmic fairness are sufficient to address the potential risks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course introduces students to the data science tools that may provide the first building blocks for a robot judge. While building a working robot judge might be far off in the future, some of the building blocks are already here, and we will put them to work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Data science technologies have the potential to improve legal decisions by making them more efficient and consistent. On the other hand, there are serious risks that automated systems could replicate or amplify existing legal biases and rigidities. Given the stakes, these technologies force us to think carefully about notions of fairness and justice and how they should be applied. The focus is on legal prediction problems. Given the evidence and briefs in this case, how will a judge probably decide? How likely is a criminal defendant to commit another crime? How much additional revenue will this new tax law collect? Students will investigate and implement the relevant machine learning tools for making these types of predictions, including regression, classification, and deep neural networks models. We then use these predictions to better understand the operation of the legal system. Under what conditions do judges tend to make errors? Against which types of defendants do parole boards exhibit bias? Which jurisdictions have the most tax loopholes? Students will be introduced to emerging applied research in this vein. In a semester paper, students (individually or in groups) will conceive and implement an applied data-science research project. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0467-00L | From Traffic Modeling to Smart Cities and Digital Democracies | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. Helbing, R. K. Dubey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will present speakers who discuss the challenges and opportunities arising for our cities and societies with the digital revolution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To collect credit points, students will have to actively contribute and give an individual presentation for around 30 minutes in the seminar on a subject agreed with the lecturer, after which the presentation will be discussed (could be 20 or 40 min, depending on available time). The presentation will be graded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This seminar will present speakers who discuss the challenges and opportunities arising for our cities and societies with the digital revolution. Besides discussing questions of automation using Big Data, AI and other digital technologies, we will also reflect on the question of how democracy could be digitally upgraded, and how citizen participation could contribute to innovation, sustainability, resilience, and quality of life. This includes questions around collective intelligence and digital platforms that support creativity, engagement, coordination and cooperation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Dirk Helbing An Analytical Theory of Traffic Flow (collection of papers) Michael Batty, Kay Axhausen et al. Smart cities of the future Books by Michael Batty: How social influence can undermine the wisdom of crowd effect Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups Optimal incentives for collective intelligence Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace Big Mind: How Collective Intelligence Can Change Our World Programming Collective Intelligence Urban architecture as connective-collective intelligence. Which spaces of interaction? Build digital democracy How to make democracy work in the digital age Digital Democracy: How to make it work? Proof of witness presence: Blockchain consensus for augmented democracy in smart cities Iterative Learning Control for Multi-agent Systems Coordination Decentralized Collective Learning for Self-managed Sharing Economies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students need to present a new subject, for which they have not earned any credit points before. Good scientific practices, in particular citation and quotation rules, must be properly complied with. Chatham House rules apply to this course. Materials may not be shared without previous written permission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0391-00L | Focus on the Human: Human-Centered Security and Privacy Lab The course is particularly suitable for all students who have already completed the course “Human-centered IT Security and Privacy” as some of the concepts introduced will practically be applied in this course. However, the relevant literature and necessary material will be provided to all students and basic concepts will be briefly summarized so that all interested students can participate. | W | 3 credits | 2S | V. Zimmermann, L. Schöni | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | After an introduction on usable security as the intersection of computer science and psychology, students will form teams and work on exemplary security- or privacy-related research questions. The teams will develop and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution. Through input sessions and milestone presentations the human perspective will be incorporated and reflected upon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course makes students experience an exemplary human-centered design process. They will learn about and practically apply human-centered design and evaluation methods that will allow them to view their solution from the human perspective, e.g., the user, developer or website owner perspective. By taking part in the evaluation of other teams, they will also take the user perspective themselves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | At the beginning of the course, the students will receive an introduction to usable IT security and privacy and relevant concepts. Afterwards, a selection of current research questions from that area will be presented. The students form teams and select one of the proposed research questions. This question will accompany the students throughout the semester. They will design and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution to that question. To be able to do so, they will receive input on human-centered design and evaluation tools. Their progress and the inclusion of the human perspective will be subject to feedback in milestone presentations. The students’ human-centered solution can take the form of a concept (e.g., a concept for a product or app), interface (e.g., a visual or tangible interface), or prototype (e.g., sketches, a click-dummy or a built prototype). The solution will then be subject to evaluations. The solutions will be user-tested by members of other teams that thereby take the perspective of a user themselves. In addition, the solutions will be analyzed from different stakeholders’ perspectives, such as developers or website owners. Finally, the students will reflect on potential changes that results from the evaluations and their consequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature Recommendations: Adams, A., & Sasse, M. A. (1999). Users are not the enemy. Communications of the ACM, 42(12), 40-46. Cranor, L. F., & Garfinkel, S. (2005). Security and usability: designing secure systems that people can use. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.". Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2017). Psychologie in der nutzerzentrierten Produktgestaltung: Mensch-Technik-Interaktion-Erlebnis. Springer-Verlag. Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2010). Handbuch zur Fun-ni Toolbox–User Experience Evaluation auf drei Ebenen. Dix, A., & Finlay, J., Abowd, G., Beale, R. (2004). Human-computer interaction. Pearson - PRENTICE HALL. Garfinkel, S., & Lipford, H. R. (2014). Usable security: History, themes, and challenges. Synthesis Lectures on Information Security, Privacy, and Trust, 5(2), 1-124. Nielsen, J. (1999). Designing web usability: The practice of simplicity. New Riders Publishing. Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books (AZ). Reuter, C. (2018). Sicherheitskritische Mensch-Computer-Interaktion. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Sarodnick, F., & Brau, H. (2006). Methoden der Usability Evaluation. Verlag Hans Huber. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course is especially recommended after having participated in the related lecture/exercise "851-0390-00 G Human-Centered IT Security and Privacy". However, previous participantion in the lecture is not a requirement. Additional material will be made available so that also students with no prior knowledge in that area can participate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 860-0023-00L | International Environmental Politics Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET, D-USYS. | W | 3 credits | 2V | T. Bernauer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course deals with how and why international problem-solving efforts (cooperation) in environmental politics emerge and evolve, and under what circumstances such efforts are effective. Based on concepts and theories of political economy, political science, and public policy, various examples of international environmental policy-making are examined. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objectives in this course are to (1) gain an overview of important questions pertaining to international environmental politics from a social sciences viewpoint; (2) learn how to identify interesting/innovative questions in this policy area and how to address them in a conceptually and methodologically meaningful and insightful way; (3) gain an overview of important global and regional environmental problems and how they are or could be solved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course deals with how and why international problem-solving efforts (cooperation) in environmental politics emerge and evolve, and under what circumstances such efforts are effective. Based on concepts and theories of political economy, political science, and public policy, various examples of international environmental policy-making are examined, for example international efforts to reduce air pollution, manage international water resources, mitigate and adapt to global warming, protect the stratospheric ozone layer, address biodiversity challenges, deal with plastic waste, and prevent pollution of the oceans. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Reading materials and slides will be available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Reading materials and slides will be available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Access / Prerequisites The course is open to all ETH students and visiting students from other universities. Participation does not require previous coursework in the social sciences or environmental policy. This course will take place on campus (ETH Main Building, HG F.3). There will be no live-streaming, and the course is NOT in hybrid (on-campus plus online) format. However, the lecture will be recorded and the recordings will be made available via the Moodle platform for this course a few days after the respective lecture for students who are unable to attend in person. All electronic correspondence will take place via the ETH mystudies system and Moodle, so please make sure you are properly registered there with a functioning email address/account. Credits and Exam After passing a written test at the end of the course (requirement: grade 4.0 or higher) students will receive 3 ECTS credit points. The workload is around 90 hours (meetings, reading assignments, preparation of test). Visiting students (e.g., from the University of Zurich, exchange students) are subject to the same conditions. Registration of visiting students in the web-based system of ETH is compulsory. Students who obtain a grade of < 4.0 for the test will have a second chance (see table below). Students who did not participate in the test on 18 December 2023 will not have access to the repeat test unless they submit compelling and documented (e.g. medical, other exam in parallel at ETH) reasons for why they were unable to participate in the first test. It covers all contents of the lectures and the reading assignments. Visiting students (e.g., from the University of Zurich or other universities) are subject to the same conditions. Registration for the course in the mystudies system of ETH is compulsory. No separate registration for the exam is required, registration for the course as such covers everything. The exam will take place on campus, either in the F3 lecture hall or in a computer room. That is, you must be present in person at ETH Zurich on the exam date/time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0727-02L | E-Business-Law Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET. | W | 2 credits | 2V | D. Rosenthal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course deals with the basic legal framework for doing e-business as well as using information technology. It discusses a variety of legal concepts and rules to be taken into account in practice, be it when designing and planning new media business models, be it when implementing online projects and undertaking information technology activities. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective is knowing and understanding key legal concepts relevant for doing e-business, in particularly understanding how e-business is regulated by law nationally and internationally, how contracts are concluded and performed electronically, which rules have to be obeyed in particular in the Internet with regard to third party and own content and client data, the concept of liability applied in e-business and the role of the law in the practical implementation and operation of e-business applications. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Vorgesehene Strukturierung der Vorlesung: 1) Welches Recht gilt im E-Business? - Internationalität des Internets - Regulierte Branchen 2) Gestaltung und Vermarktung von E-Business-Angeboten - Verwendung fremder und Schutz der eigenen Inhalte - Haftung im E-Business (und wie sie beschränkt werden kann) - Domain-Namen 3) Beziehung zu E-Business-Kunden - Verträge im E-Business, Konsumentenschutz - Elektronische Signaturen - Datenschutz - Spam 4) Verträge mit E-Business-Providern Änderungen, Umstellungen und Kürzungen bleiben vorbehalten. Der aktuelle Termin- und Themenplan ist zu gegebener Zeit über Moodle abrufbar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Es wird mit Folien gearbeitet, die als PDF über Moodle vorgängig abrufbar sind. Auf dem Termin- und Themenplan (ebenfalls online abrufbar) sind Links zu Gesetzestexten und weiteren Unterlagen abrufbar. Schliesslich wird jede Vorlesung auch als Podcast aufgezeichnet, der jedoch nur für die Studierenden mit einem Passwort (erhältlich beim Dozenten) zugänglich sind. Der Termin- und Themenplan ist zu gegebener Zeit über Moodle abrufbar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Weiterführende Materialien, Links und Literatur sind auf dem Termin- und Themenplan aufgeführt (zu gegebener Zeit abrufbar via Moodle). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Die Semesterendprüfung erfolgt normalerweise in Form eines schriftlichen Kurztests (normalerweise ein MC) in der letzten Doppelstunde. Es wird angegeben, welche Unterlagen beim jeweiligen Thema den Prüfungsstoff definieren. Der Test wird möglicherweise elektronisch durchgeführt. Es gibt keinen Ersatz- oder Wiederholungstermin. Eine Remote-Teilnahme ist nicht möglich. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0252-01L | Human-Computer Interaction: Cognition and Usability Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-INFK, D-ITET. | W | 3 credits | 2S | C. Hölscher, I. Barisic, B. Davison | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will introduce key topics, theories and methodology in human-computer interaction (HCI) and usability, with a focus on applying them to real situations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Presentations will cover the basics of human-computer interaction and selected topics: ● History of HCI ● Research ethics ● Literature reviews ● Participant-free methods: cognitive walkthrough and heuristic evaluation ● Card sorting and information architecture ● Usability studies ● Unmoderated research and diary studies ● Surveys ● User Logs and metric frameworks On a weekly basis, students will conduct authentic research in class covering the topics above. They will submit their in-class research results regularly and also present their findings to the class once per semester. The final project demonstrates class topic adoption by deeply exploring one HCI problem using the covered methods and tools. Students will choose a research topic and execute their research plan. They will individually write a formal report including problem definition, literature review, methodology, findings and discussion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0735-10L | Startups and Law Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | P. Peyrot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The students shall obtain a basic knowledge about the legal environment of entrepreneurs. They shall be able to recognize and evaluate legal issues connected to an entrepreneurial activity and suggest possible solutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The students shall obtain the following competence: - They shall obtain a working knowledge on the legal aspects involved in setting up and managing an enterprize. - They shall be acquainted with corporate functions as contracting, negotiation, claims management and dispute resolution - They shall be familiar with the issues of corporate compliance, i.e. the system to ascertain that all legal and ethical rules are observed. - They shall be able to contribute to the legal management of the company and to discuss legal issues. - They shall have an understanding of the law as a part of the corporate strategy and as a valuable ressource of the company. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A comprehensive script will be made available online on the moodle platform. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0738-01L | The Role of Intellectual Property in the Engineering and Technical Sector Particularly suitable for students of D-BAUG, D-BIOL, D-BSSE, D-CHAB, D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | K. Houshang Pour Islam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture gives an overview of the fundamental aspects of intellectual property, which plays an important role in the daily routine of engineers and scientists. The lecture aims to make participants aware of the various methods of protection and to put them in a position to use this knowledge in the workplace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In recent years, knowledge about intellectual property has become increasingly important for engineers and scientists. Both in production and distribution and in research and development, they are increasingly being confronted with questions concerning the patenting of technical inventions and the use of patent information. The lecture will acquaint participants with practical aspects of intellectual property and enable them to use the acquired knowledge in their future professional life. Topics covered during the lecture will include: - The importance of innovation in industrialised countries - An overview of the different forms of intellectual property - The protection of technical inventions and how to safeguard their commercialisation - Patents as a source of technical and business information - Practical aspects of intellectual property in day-to-day research, at the workplace and for the formation of start-ups. Case studies will illustrate and deepen the topics addressed during the lecture. The seminar will include practical exercises on how to use and search patent information. Basic knowledge of how to read and evaluate patent documents as well as how to use publicly available patent databases to obtain the required patent information will also be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture addresses students in the fields of engineering, science and other related technical fields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-00L | Intellectual Property: Introduction Particularly suitable for students of D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D- MATL, D-MTEC. | W | 2 credits | 2V | M. Schweizer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course provides an introduction to Swiss and European intellectual property law (trademarks, copyright, patent and design rights). The legal principles are developed based on current cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of this course is to enable students at ETH Zurich to recognize which rights may protect their creations, and which rights may be infringed as a result of their activities. Students should learn to assess the risks and opportunities of intellectual property rights in the development and marketing of new products. To put them in this position, they need to know the prerequisites and scope of protection afforded by the various intellectual property rights as well as the practical difficulties involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This knowledge is imparted based on current rulings and cases. Another goal is to enable the students to participate in the current debate over the goals and desirability of protecting intellectual creations, particularly in the areas of copyright (keywords: fair use, Creative Commons, Copyleft) and patent law (software patents, patent trolls, patent thickets). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0101-86L | Complex Social Systems: Modeling Agents, Learning, and Games Prerequisites: Basic programming skills, elementary probability and statistics. | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. N. Dailisan, D. Carpentras, D. Helbing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces mathematical and computational models to study techno-socioeconomic systems and the process of scientific research. Students develop a significant project to tackle techno-socio-economic challenges in application domains of complex systems. They are expected to implement a model and to communicate their results through a project report and a short oral presentation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | See your own field of study in a wider context (“Science in Perspective”), e.g. see the psychological, social, economic, environmental, historical, ethical,or philosophical connections and implications. Learn to think critically and out of the box. Question what you believe you know for sure. Get to know surprising, counterintuitive properties of complex (non-linearly interacting, networked, multi-component) systems. Learn about collaboration. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | By the end of the course, the students should be able to better understand the literature on complex social systems, develop their own models for studying specific phenomena and report results according to the standards of the relevant scientific literature by presenting their results both numerically and graphically. At the end of the course, the students will deliver a report, computer code and a short oral presentation. To collect credit points, students will have to actively contribute and give a circa 30 minutes presentation in the course on a subject agreed with the lecturers, after which the presentation will be discussed. The presentation will be graded. Students are expected to implement themselves models of techno-socio-economic processes and systems, particularly agent-based models, complex networks models, decision making, group dynamics, human crowds, or game-theoretical models. Credit points are finally earned for the implementation of a mathematical or empirical model from the complexity science literature, its presentation, and documentation by a project report. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The lecture slides will be presented on the course Moodle after each lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Agent-Based Modeling https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-24004-1_2 Social Self-Organization https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642240034 Traffic and related self-driven many-particle systems Reviews of Modern Physics 73, 1067 https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.73.1067 An Analytical Theory of Traffic Flow (collection of papers) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261629187 Pedestrian, Crowd, and Evacuation Dynamics https://www.research-collection.ethz.ch/handle/20.500.11850/45424 The hidden geometry of complex, network-driven contagion phenomena (relevant for modeling pandemic spread) https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6164/1337 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The number of participants is limited to the size of the available computer teaching room. The source code related to the seminar thesis should be well enough documented. Good programming skills and a good understanding of probability & statistics and calculus are expected. Students need to present a new subject, for which they have not earned any credit points before. Good scientific practices, in particular citation and quotation rules, must be properly complied with. Chatham House rules apply to this course. Materials may not be shared without previous written permission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0760-00L | Building a Robot Judge: Data Science for Decision-Making Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MTEC. | W | 3 credits | 2V | E. Ash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the automation of decisions in the legal system. We delve into the machine learning tools needed to predict judge decision-making and ask whether techniques in model explanation and algorithmic fairness are sufficient to address the potential risks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course introduces students to the data science tools that may provide the first building blocks for a robot judge. While building a working robot judge might be far off in the future, some of the building blocks are already here, and we will put them to work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Data science technologies have the potential to improve legal decisions by making them more efficient and consistent. On the other hand, there are serious risks that automated systems could replicate or amplify existing legal biases and rigidities. Given the stakes, these technologies force us to think carefully about notions of fairness and justice and how they should be applied. The focus is on legal prediction problems. Given the evidence and briefs in this case, how will a judge probably decide? How likely is a criminal defendant to commit another crime? How much additional revenue will this new tax law collect? Students will investigate and implement the relevant machine learning tools for making these types of predictions, including regression, classification, and deep neural networks models. We then use these predictions to better understand the operation of the legal system. Under what conditions do judges tend to make errors? Against which types of defendants do parole boards exhibit bias? Which jurisdictions have the most tax loopholes? Students will be introduced to emerging applied research in this vein. In a semester paper, students (individually or in groups) will conceive and implement an applied data-science research project. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0467-00L | From Traffic Modeling to Smart Cities and Digital Democracies | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. Helbing, R. K. Dubey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This seminar will present speakers who discuss the challenges and opportunities arising for our cities and societies with the digital revolution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | To collect credit points, students will have to actively contribute and give an individual presentation for around 30 minutes in the seminar on a subject agreed with the lecturer, after which the presentation will be discussed (could be 20 or 40 min, depending on available time). The presentation will be graded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This seminar will present speakers who discuss the challenges and opportunities arising for our cities and societies with the digital revolution. Besides discussing questions of automation using Big Data, AI and other digital technologies, we will also reflect on the question of how democracy could be digitally upgraded, and how citizen participation could contribute to innovation, sustainability, resilience, and quality of life. This includes questions around collective intelligence and digital platforms that support creativity, engagement, coordination and cooperation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Dirk Helbing An Analytical Theory of Traffic Flow (collection of papers) Michael Batty, Kay Axhausen et al. Smart cities of the future Books by Michael Batty: How social influence can undermine the wisdom of crowd effect Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups Optimal incentives for collective intelligence Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace Big Mind: How Collective Intelligence Can Change Our World Programming Collective Intelligence Urban architecture as connective-collective intelligence. Which spaces of interaction? Build digital democracy How to make democracy work in the digital age Digital Democracy: How to make it work? Proof of witness presence: Blockchain consensus for augmented democracy in smart cities Iterative Learning Control for Multi-agent Systems Coordination Decentralized Collective Learning for Self-managed Sharing Economies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students need to present a new subject, for which they have not earned any credit points before. Good scientific practices, in particular citation and quotation rules, must be properly complied with. Chatham House rules apply to this course. Materials may not be shared without previous written permission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0732-06L | Law & Tech | W | 3 credits | 2S | A. Stremitzer, J. Merane | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces students to scientific and technological developments that require regulation or enable legal innovation. We focus particularly on the challenges to current law posed by prominent near-future technologies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course is intended for a wide range of ETH students as well as for law students interested in acquiring a better understanding of state-of-the-art technology. The course will combine both an overview of major areas of law that are relevant for the regulation of technology and guest lectures on new technological developments. In previous years, speakers from industry (Google, Youtube), NGOs (Digital Society Switzerland, The European Consumer Organizations), regulatory agencies (Swiss Competition Commission), and academia participated as guest speakers. The course is open to ETH students through the Science in Perspective program of the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The planned course outline is below. - Overview of Law and Technology - Fundamental Rights - AI & Discrimination - Landmark Big Tech Cases - Regulation of Digital Platforms & Content Moderation - Online Consumer Protection - Law and Tech Scholarship Series A number of recent regulations will be discussed, including the EU's AI Act, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as emerging internet phenomena, like ChatGPT and the Metaverse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0391-00L | Focus on the Human: Human-Centered Security and Privacy Lab The course is particularly suitable for all students who have already completed the course “Human-centered IT Security and Privacy” as some of the concepts introduced will practically be applied in this course. However, the relevant literature and necessary material will be provided to all students and basic concepts will be briefly summarized so that all interested students can participate. | W | 3 credits | 2S | V. Zimmermann, L. Schöni | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | After an introduction on usable security as the intersection of computer science and psychology, students will form teams and work on exemplary security- or privacy-related research questions. The teams will develop and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution. Through input sessions and milestone presentations the human perspective will be incorporated and reflected upon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course makes students experience an exemplary human-centered design process. They will learn about and practically apply human-centered design and evaluation methods that will allow them to view their solution from the human perspective, e.g., the user, developer or website owner perspective. By taking part in the evaluation of other teams, they will also take the user perspective themselves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | At the beginning of the course, the students will receive an introduction to usable IT security and privacy and relevant concepts. Afterwards, a selection of current research questions from that area will be presented. The students form teams and select one of the proposed research questions. This question will accompany the students throughout the semester. They will design and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution to that question. To be able to do so, they will receive input on human-centered design and evaluation tools. Their progress and the inclusion of the human perspective will be subject to feedback in milestone presentations. The students’ human-centered solution can take the form of a concept (e.g., a concept for a product or app), interface (e.g., a visual or tangible interface), or prototype (e.g., sketches, a click-dummy or a built prototype). The solution will then be subject to evaluations. The solutions will be user-tested by members of other teams that thereby take the perspective of a user themselves. In addition, the solutions will be analyzed from different stakeholders’ perspectives, such as developers or website owners. Finally, the students will reflect on potential changes that results from the evaluations and their consequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature Recommendations: Adams, A., & Sasse, M. A. (1999). Users are not the enemy. Communications of the ACM, 42(12), 40-46. Cranor, L. F., & Garfinkel, S. (2005). Security and usability: designing secure systems that people can use. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.". Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2017). Psychologie in der nutzerzentrierten Produktgestaltung: Mensch-Technik-Interaktion-Erlebnis. Springer-Verlag. Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2010). Handbuch zur Fun-ni Toolbox–User Experience Evaluation auf drei Ebenen. Dix, A., & Finlay, J., Abowd, G., Beale, R. (2004). Human-computer interaction. Pearson - PRENTICE HALL. Garfinkel, S., & Lipford, H. R. (2014). Usable security: History, themes, and challenges. Synthesis Lectures on Information Security, Privacy, and Trust, 5(2), 1-124. Nielsen, J. (1999). Designing web usability: The practice of simplicity. New Riders Publishing. Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books (AZ). Reuter, C. (2018). Sicherheitskritische Mensch-Computer-Interaktion. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Sarodnick, F., & Brau, H. (2006). Methoden der Usability Evaluation. Verlag Hans Huber. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course is especially recommended after having participated in the related lecture/exercise "851-0390-00 G Human-Centered IT Security and Privacy". However, previous participantion in the lecture is not a requirement. Additional material will be made available so that also students with no prior knowledge in that area can participate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0742-00L | Contract Design I You can find all course materials and the most recent announcements on Moodle. Please log in to Moodle using your ETH or UZH credentials. Then search for "Contract Design I (851-0742-00L; Fall 2023)" and enroll. The password is "ContractDesign01". It is NOT a legal drafting class focused on contractual language. Number of participants limited to 160. Max 80 ETHZ and 80 UZH Students | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer, A. Tacconelli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design I is taught by Professor Stremitzer and aims to bridge the gap between economic contract theory, contract law, and the writing of real-world contracts. In this course, we take a systematic approach to contract design. This means we first analyze the economic environment in which a transaction takes place and then engineer contracts that achieve the desired outcome. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Contracts are agreements between parties to engage in transactions. A good contract creates value by giving parties the right incentives to meet their objectives. A good contract designer scrutinizes the economic situation in which parties find themselves and tailors the contract to the challenges at hand. To help you become sophisticated contract designers, we draw from insights for which more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes were awarded in the past two decades and transfer them to the art of writing real-world contracts. In other words, Contract Design will provide you with analytical tools to design contracts that help you be better lawyers, business leaders, and startup founders. We will cover topics such as moral hazard, adverse selection, elicitation mechanisms, relationship-specific investments, and relational contracting and apply the theoretical insights to real-life case studies ranging from purchases & sales of assets, oil & gas exploration, movie financing, production & distribution, construction & development, M&A deals, venture capital financing, to executive compensation and many other types of transactions. The course follows a flipped-classroom model: You will watch learning videos specifically produced for this course ahead of class. We will use class time to discuss real-world case studies. The videos will be made available before the lecture each week and need to be watched ahead of coming to class. Computer-graded quizzes at the beginning of each class will test students’ understanding of the concepts introduced in the videos. As the emphasis of this class is on class discussion, attendance is mandatory. Absent important reasons, you cannot miss class more than twice. The lectures will be recorded but only made available to those who miss lectures with excused absence. For ETH students: Your grade will consist of two parts: 1) You will take weekly computer-based quizzes during class time. Thus, it is important that you attend the lectures to be able to finish the quizzes and pass this course. 2) You compose short responses to take-home questions on case studies we assign and upload them ahead of class (Pass/Fail). Note that UZH and UNISG students enrolling in this course need to earn more ECTS for completing this course than ETH students (due to curricula reasons). This is why UZH and UNISG students must complete a written assignment in addition to the weekly quizzes and take-home questions. UZH students also have to complete an additional group project. UZH and UNISG students should check out the description of the class at their respective home institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts, prerecorded videos, slides, case studies, and other materials available on a dedicated webpage: contractdesign.org. Access to this webpage is free of charge for ETH students as ETH purchased a license for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Attendance is mandatory. You are only allowed to miss two lectures unless there are special circumstances. Contract Design I is available to ETH students through the Science in Perspective (SiP) Program of D-GESS. This course is particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-CHAB, DMATH, D-MTEC, D-INFK, and D-MAVT. If you have any questions regarding the course, please write an email to the teaching assistants, Lucas Gericke (lucas.gericke@gess.ethz.ch) or Serge von Steiger (serge.vonsteiger@gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0252-15L | Network Analysis Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-MATH. | W | 3 credits | 2V | U. Brandes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Network science is a distinct domain of data science that is characterized by a specific kind of data being studied. While areas of application range from archaeology to zoology, we concern ourselves with social networks for the most part. Emphasis is placed on descriptive and analytic approaches rather than theorizing, modeling, or data collection. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be able to identify and categorize research problems that call for network approaches while appreciating differences across application domains and contexts. They will master a suite of mathematical and computational tools, and know how to design or adapt suitable methods for analysis. In particular, they will be able to evaluate such methods in terms of appropriateness and efficiency. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The following topics will be covered with an emphasis on structural and computational approaches and frequent reference to their suitability with respect to substantive theory: * Empirical Research and Network Data * Macro and Micro Structure * Centrality * Roles * Cohesion * Influence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides and lecture notes are distributed via the associated course moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | * Hennig, Brandes, Pfeffer & Mergel (2012). Studying Social Networks. Campus-Verlag. * Borgatti, Everett & Johnson (2013). Analyzing Social Networks. Sage. * Robins (2015). Doing Social Network Research. Sage. * Menczer, Fortunato & Davis (2020). A First Course in Network Science. Cambridge University Press. * Brandes & Erlebach (2005). Network Analysis. Springer LNCS 3418. * Wasserman & Faust (1994). Social Network Analysis. Cambridge University Press. * Kadushin (2012). Understanding Social Networks. Oxford University Press. * Gërxhani, De Graaf & Raub (2023). Handbook of Sociological Science. Edward Elgar. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 853-0061-00L | Introduction to Cybersecurity Politics | W | 3 credits | 2G | M. Dunn Cavelty, F. J. Egloff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture is an introduction to global cybersecurity politics. The focus is on the strategic use of cyberspace by state and non-state actors (threats) and different answers to these new challenges (countermeasures). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants learn to assess the advantages and disadvantages of cyberspace as a domain for strategic military operations. They understand the technical basics of cyber operations and know how technology and politics are interlinked in this area. They understand the security challenges for and the motivations of states to be active in cyberspace offensively and defensively and they are familiar with the consequences for international politics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | We start with an overview of cybersecurity issue from 1980 to today and look at events and actors responsible for turning cybersecurity matters into a security political issue with top priority. After familiarizing ourselves with the technical basics, we look at different forms of cyberviolence and trends in cyber conflicts (technique in social and political practice). Then, we turn to countermeasures: we compare national cybersecurity strategies, examine international norms building, and scrutinize concepts such as cyber-power and cyber-deterrence (technique in social and political regulartory contexts). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A script with background information and comments on the literature will be made available at the beginning of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature for each session will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is being supported by a website on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 853-8002-00L | The Role of Technology in National and International Security Policy | W | 3 credits | 2G | O. Thränert, A. Dossi, M. Leese, N. Masuhr | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture provides an introduction to the role of security and military technologies in the formulation and implementation of national and international security policies. The focus is on challenges posed by new and developing technologies, the transformation of military capabilities, and the question of regulation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants will gain an in-depth overview of the many ways in which technology is becoming part of security policies and practices, in both civilian and military contexts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Der erste Teil befasst sich mit den vielgestaltigen und komplexen Beziehungen zwischen Konzepten nationaler und internationaler Sicherheit, der Förderung von Forschung und Entwicklung, ökonomischen Aspekten von Technologie, und Aussenpolitik und Diplomatie. Der zweite Teil behandelt die Auswirkungen von neuen Technologien auf militärische Kapazitäten, strategische Optionen, und Militärdoktrinen in Krieg und Frieden. Der dritte Teil konzentriert sich auf regulatorische Herausforderungen, die aus der Implementierung und der globalen Weiterverbreitung von Technologie resultieren. Der letzte Teil schliesslich beschäftigt sich mit den Herausforderungen für den Staat im Umgang mit neuen und noch in der Entwicklung befindlicher Technologien, vorrangig in den sensiblen Bereich der Rüstungsbeschaffung und des nachrichtendienstlichen Einsatzes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literatur für die einzelnen Sitzungen wird auf Moodle bereitgestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is being supported by a website on Moodle. If you have any questions, please contact Quentin Merle, quentin.merle@sipo.gess.ethz.ch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0742-01L | Contract Design II Does not take place this semester. To be considered for Contract Design II, you must have completed Contract Design I in the same semester. Students can only register for Contract Design II after having obtained approval by Prof. Stremitzer. | W | 1 credit | 1U | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design II is a masterclass in the form of an interactive clinic that allows you to deepen your understanding of contracting by applying insights from Contract Design I to a comprehensive case study. Together with your classmates, you are going to advise a (hypothetical) client organization planning to enter a complex transaction on how to structure the underlying contract. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | There is a possibility that representatives from companies that were previously engaged in similar deals will visit us in class and tell you about their experience firsthand. In Contract Design I, you will receive more detailed information on the content and learning objectives of Contract Design II. If you have urgent questions, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Professor Stremitzer’s Teaching Assistant Diego Caldera (diegoalberto.calderaherrera@uzh.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To enable you to work under the close supervision of your professor and his team, only a small group of students with backgrounds in law, business, or engineering is admitted to this course. This simulation is time-consuming and challenging. Hence, we can only admit the most successful and motivated students to this class. Further information on the application process will follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0185-00L | Ethics in Mathematics Recommended for students of D-MATH | W | 3 credits | 2S | M. Cordes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this course we will discuss ethics related to the practice of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants of the course will: • Become familiar with some of the ethical questions inherent to mathematical work • Explore several applications of mathematics and their impacts on society • Develop skills to identify ethical questions in mathematics and deepen their understanding of debates on certain issues in the mathematical community • Consider what a code of ethics for mathematicians could look like • Practice and improve mathematical communication skills | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | • Exploration of what mathematics is • Case studies which illuminate ethical questions that appear in the practice of mathematics • Ethical situations that appear in the mathematical community (interaction with the public, within the mathematical community, as educators,...) Please email the instructor if you'd like a more detailed syllabus. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | A reading list will be distributed the first day. If you'd like to see it before, please email the instructor and ask for a copy of the syllabus. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | 1. Your regular presence is absolutely required (so please no double, parallel enrollment for courses taking place at the identical time!). Students are expected to be active, thoughtful participants, e.g., taking notes, contributing to discussions. 2. Having the willingness and availability of the necessary time for regularly preparing the class. Students will be expected to do the readings and have thought critically about their content before each class. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D-MATL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0703-00L | Introduction to Law | W | 2 credits | 2V | O. Streiff Gnöpff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This class introduces students into basic features of the legal system. Fundamental issues of constitutional law, administrative law, private law and the law of the EU are covered. The focus is on legal problems related to space. Active participation is expected in short interactive sequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students are able to identify basic structures of the legal system. They unterstand selected topics of public and private law. They are able to apply the fundamentals in more advanced law classes and to recognize the relevance of law in their own field. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Basic concepts of law, sources of law. Private law: Contract law (particularly contract for work and services), tort law, property law. Public law: Human rights, administrative law, procurement law, procedural law. Insights into the law of the EU and into criminal law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Jaap Hage, Bram Akkermans (Eds.), Introduction to Law, Cham 2017 (Online Resource ETH Library) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Further documents will be available online (https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=20127) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0738-00L | Intellectual Property: Introduction Particularly suitable for students of D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D- MATL, D-MTEC. | W | 2 credits | 2V | M. Schweizer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course provides an introduction to Swiss and European intellectual property law (trademarks, copyright, patent and design rights). The legal principles are developed based on current cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of this course is to enable students at ETH Zurich to recognize which rights may protect their creations, and which rights may be infringed as a result of their activities. Students should learn to assess the risks and opportunities of intellectual property rights in the development and marketing of new products. To put them in this position, they need to know the prerequisites and scope of protection afforded by the various intellectual property rights as well as the practical difficulties involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This knowledge is imparted based on current rulings and cases. Another goal is to enable the students to participate in the current debate over the goals and desirability of protecting intellectual creations, particularly in the areas of copyright (keywords: fair use, Creative Commons, Copyleft) and patent law (software patents, patent trolls, patent thickets). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 853-0047-01L | World Politics Since 1945: The History of International Relations (Without Exercises) | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Wenger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This lecture series provides students with an overview of the development of international relations since the end of World War II. The first part of the series deals with the development of and changes in Cold War security policy structures. The second part deals with the period after the transformation of 1989/91; the focus here is on current issues in international security policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | By the end of the semester, participants should have a solid knowledge of the history and theoretical foundations of International Relations since the end of the Second World War. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | cf. "Diploma Supplement" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecure is being supported by a website on Moodle. If you have any questions, please contact Quentin Merle (quentin.merle@sipo.gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 701-0703-00L | Environmental Ethics (University of Zurich) No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH as an incoming student. UZH Module Code: 07SMEEE266 Please register at: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/de/studies/application/chmobilityin.html after you received your logon information you can enrol to courses at: https://studentservices.uzh.ch/uzh/application#/Logon Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/studies/application/deadlines.html | W | 3 credits | 2V | University lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The pressing environmental challenges of today demand a critical reflection. Ethics is an important tool for doing so. This lecture introduces the basics of ethics and provides in-depth knowledge of environmental ethics and its debates. This theoretical background will be applied and critically reflected using examples of current environmental challenges. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | On completion of this lecture, you have acquired the ability to identify, analyze, critically reflect and resolve ethical challenges in general and specifically regarding the environment. You know basic concepts, positions and lines of argumentation from the debate in environmental ethics, which you have applied and discussed in smaller exercises. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 853-0061-00L | Introduction to Cybersecurity Politics | W | 3 credits | 2G | M. Dunn Cavelty, F. J. Egloff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture is an introduction to global cybersecurity politics. The focus is on the strategic use of cyberspace by state and non-state actors (threats) and different answers to these new challenges (countermeasures). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants learn to assess the advantages and disadvantages of cyberspace as a domain for strategic military operations. They understand the technical basics of cyber operations and know how technology and politics are interlinked in this area. They understand the security challenges for and the motivations of states to be active in cyberspace offensively and defensively and they are familiar with the consequences for international politics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | We start with an overview of cybersecurity issue from 1980 to today and look at events and actors responsible for turning cybersecurity matters into a security political issue with top priority. After familiarizing ourselves with the technical basics, we look at different forms of cyberviolence and trends in cyber conflicts (technique in social and political practice). Then, we turn to countermeasures: we compare national cybersecurity strategies, examine international norms building, and scrutinize concepts such as cyber-power and cyber-deterrence (technique in social and political regulartory contexts). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A script with background information and comments on the literature will be made available at the beginning of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature for each session will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is being supported by a website on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 853-8002-00L | The Role of Technology in National and International Security Policy | W | 3 credits | 2G | O. Thränert, A. Dossi, M. Leese, N. Masuhr | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture provides an introduction to the role of security and military technologies in the formulation and implementation of national and international security policies. The focus is on challenges posed by new and developing technologies, the transformation of military capabilities, and the question of regulation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants will gain an in-depth overview of the many ways in which technology is becoming part of security policies and practices, in both civilian and military contexts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Der erste Teil befasst sich mit den vielgestaltigen und komplexen Beziehungen zwischen Konzepten nationaler und internationaler Sicherheit, der Förderung von Forschung und Entwicklung, ökonomischen Aspekten von Technologie, und Aussenpolitik und Diplomatie. Der zweite Teil behandelt die Auswirkungen von neuen Technologien auf militärische Kapazitäten, strategische Optionen, und Militärdoktrinen in Krieg und Frieden. Der dritte Teil konzentriert sich auf regulatorische Herausforderungen, die aus der Implementierung und der globalen Weiterverbreitung von Technologie resultieren. Der letzte Teil schliesslich beschäftigt sich mit den Herausforderungen für den Staat im Umgang mit neuen und noch in der Entwicklung befindlicher Technologien, vorrangig in den sensiblen Bereich der Rüstungsbeschaffung und des nachrichtendienstlichen Einsatzes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literatur für die einzelnen Sitzungen wird auf Moodle bereitgestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is being supported by a website on Moodle. If you have any questions, please contact Quentin Merle, quentin.merle@sipo.gess.ethz.ch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D-MTEC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0252-10L | Project in Behavioural Finance Particularly suitable for students of D-MTEC. | W | 3 credits | 2S | S. Andraszewicz, C. Hölscher, A. C. Roberts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | In this seminar, students will study cognitive processes, behaviour and the underlying biological response to financial decisions. Research methods such as asset market experiments, lottery games, risk preference assessment, psychometrics, neuroimaging and psychophysiology of decision processes will be discussed. Financial bubbles and crashes will be the core interest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course has four main goals: 1) To learn about the most important topics within Behavioural Finance 2) To learn to effectively select, review and present information using modern telecommunication tools 3) To practice working on group projects in hybrid working conditions (online + in-person) 4) To solve an applied behavioral finance business case stemming from an industry partner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course does not contain mandatory reading. Instead, it offers suggested literature that provides guidance to the students who, prepare a presentation on core topics in behavioral finance. The point of this exercise is to critically select the most relevant information on a given topic and present to non-expert educated colleagues. At the same time, the audience learns about the key topics in behavioral finance. Every session involves a discussion moderated and supported by the lecturers. Throughout the semester, students work on solutions to real business cases stemming from a company partner. They can receive feedback and guidance from project leaders of the industry partner and from the academic supervisors. In the final meeting of the semester, students pitch solutions to their business cases. The course takes place entirely online. The objective is to prepare the students for the future work in online and hybrid arrangements. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Students from all domains of ETH and all levels of education are welcome in the course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-00L | Intellectual Property: Introduction Particularly suitable for students of D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D- MATL, D-MTEC. | W | 2 credits | 2V | M. Schweizer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course provides an introduction to Swiss and European intellectual property law (trademarks, copyright, patent and design rights). The legal principles are developed based on current cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of this course is to enable students at ETH Zurich to recognize which rights may protect their creations, and which rights may be infringed as a result of their activities. Students should learn to assess the risks and opportunities of intellectual property rights in the development and marketing of new products. To put them in this position, they need to know the prerequisites and scope of protection afforded by the various intellectual property rights as well as the practical difficulties involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This knowledge is imparted based on current rulings and cases. Another goal is to enable the students to participate in the current debate over the goals and desirability of protecting intellectual creations, particularly in the areas of copyright (keywords: fair use, Creative Commons, Copyleft) and patent law (software patents, patent trolls, patent thickets). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 363-0565-00L | Principles of Macroeconomics | W | 3 credits | 2V | J.‑E. Sturm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course examines the behaviour of macroeconomic variables, such as gross domestic product, unemployment and inflation rates. It tries to answer questions like: How can we explain fluctuations of national economic activity? What can economic policy do against unemployment and inflation? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This lecture will introduce the fundamentals of macroeconomic theory and explain their relevance to every-day economic problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course helps you understand the world in which you live. There are many questions about the macroeconomy that might spark your curiosity. Why are living standards so meagre in many African countries? Why do some countries have high rates of inflation while others have stable prices? Why have some European countries adopted a common currency? These are just a few of the questions that this course will help you answer. Furthermore, this course will give you a better understanding of the potential and limits of economic policy. As a voter, you help choose the policies that guide the allocation of society's resources. When deciding which policies to support, you may find yourself asking various questions about economics. What are the burdens associated with alternative forms of taxation? What are the effects of free trade with other countries? How does the government budget deficit affect the economy? These and similar questions are always on the minds of policy makers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The course Moodle page contains announcements, course information and lecture slides. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | The set-up of the course will closely follow the book of N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor (2023), Economics, Cengage Learning, 6th Edition. This book can also be used for the course '363-0503-00L Principles of Microeconomics' (Filippini). Besides this textbook, the slides, lecture notes and problem sets will cover the content of the lecture and the exam questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 363-0503-00L | Principles of Microeconomics GESS (Science in Perspective): This lecture is for MSc students only. BSc students register for 351-1109-00L Einführung in die Mikroökonomie. | W | 3 credits | 2G | M. Filippini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course introduces basic principles, problems and approaches of microeconomics. This provides the students with reflective and contextual knowledge on how societies use scarce resources to produce goods and services and ensure a (fair) distribution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The learning objectives of the course are: (1) Students must be able to discuss basic principles, problems and approaches in microeconomics. (2) Students can analyse and explain simple economic principles in a market using supply and demand graphs. (3) Students can contrast different market structures and describe firm and consumer behaviour. (4) Students can identify market failures such as externalities related to market activities and illustrate how these affect the economy as a whole. (5) Students can also recognize behavioural failures within a market and discuss basic concepts related to behavioural economics. (6) Students can apply simple mathematical concepts on economic problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The resources on our planet are finite. The discipline of microeconomics therefore deals with the question of how society can use scarce resources to produce goods and services and ensure a (fair) distribution. In particular, microeconomics deals with the behaviour of consumers and firms in different market forms. Economic considerations and discussions are not part of classical engineering and science study programme. Thus, the goal of the lecture "Principles of Microeconomics" is to teach students how economic thinking and argumentation works. The course should help the students to look at the contents of their own studies from a different perspective and to be able to critically reflect on economic problems discussed in the society. Topics covered by the course are: - Supply and demand - Consumer demand: neoclassical and behavioural perspective - Cost of production: neoclassical and behavioural perspective - Welfare economics, deadweight losses - Governmental policies - Market failures, common resources and public goods - Public sector, tax system - Market forms (competitive, monopolistic, monopolistic competitive, oligopolistic) - International trade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Lecture notes, exercises and reference material can be downloaded from Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor (2023), "Economics", 6th edition, South-Western Cengage Learning. For students taking only the course 'Principles of Microeconomics' there is a shorter version of the same book: N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor (2023), "Microeconomics", 6th edition, South-Western Cengage Learning. Complementary: R. Pindyck and D. Rubinfeld (2018), "Microeconomics", 9th edition, Pearson Education. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | GESS (Science in Perspective): This lecture is for MSc students only. BSc students register for 363-1109-00L Einführung in die Mikroökonomie. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 351-1109-00L | Introduction to Microeconomics GESS (Science in Perspective): This course is only for students enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree programme. Students enrolled in a Master’s degree programme may attend “Principles of Microeconomics” (LE 363-0503-00L) instead. Note for D-MAVT students: If you have already successfully completed “Principles of Microeconomics” (LE 363-0503-00L), then you will not be permitted to attend it again. | W | 3 credits | 2G | M. Wörter, M. Beck | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course introduces basic principles, problems and approaches of microeconomics. It describes economic decisions of households and firms, and their coordination through perfectly competitive markets. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students acquire a deeper understanding of basic microeconomic models. They acquire the ability to apply these models in the interpretation of real world economic contexts. Students acquire a reflective and contextual knowledge on how societies use scarce resources to produce goods and services and distribute them among themselves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Market, budget constraint, preferences, utility function, utility maximisation, demand, technology, profit function, cost minimisation, cost functions, perfect competition, information and communication technologies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Course material in e-learning environment https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/auth/shibboleth/login.php | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Varian, Hal R. (2014), Intermediate Microeconomics, W.W. Norton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course "Einführung in die Mikroökonomie“ (363-1109-00L) is intended for Bachelor students and LE 363-0503-00 "Principles of Microeconomics" for Master students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-00L | Contract Design I You can find all course materials and the most recent announcements on Moodle. Please log in to Moodle using your ETH or UZH credentials. Then search for "Contract Design I (851-0742-00L; Fall 2023)" and enroll. The password is "ContractDesign01". It is NOT a legal drafting class focused on contractual language. Number of participants limited to 160. Max 80 ETHZ and 80 UZH Students | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer, A. Tacconelli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design I is taught by Professor Stremitzer and aims to bridge the gap between economic contract theory, contract law, and the writing of real-world contracts. In this course, we take a systematic approach to contract design. This means we first analyze the economic environment in which a transaction takes place and then engineer contracts that achieve the desired outcome. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Contracts are agreements between parties to engage in transactions. A good contract creates value by giving parties the right incentives to meet their objectives. A good contract designer scrutinizes the economic situation in which parties find themselves and tailors the contract to the challenges at hand. To help you become sophisticated contract designers, we draw from insights for which more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes were awarded in the past two decades and transfer them to the art of writing real-world contracts. In other words, Contract Design will provide you with analytical tools to design contracts that help you be better lawyers, business leaders, and startup founders. We will cover topics such as moral hazard, adverse selection, elicitation mechanisms, relationship-specific investments, and relational contracting and apply the theoretical insights to real-life case studies ranging from purchases & sales of assets, oil & gas exploration, movie financing, production & distribution, construction & development, M&A deals, venture capital financing, to executive compensation and many other types of transactions. The course follows a flipped-classroom model: You will watch learning videos specifically produced for this course ahead of class. We will use class time to discuss real-world case studies. The videos will be made available before the lecture each week and need to be watched ahead of coming to class. Computer-graded quizzes at the beginning of each class will test students’ understanding of the concepts introduced in the videos. As the emphasis of this class is on class discussion, attendance is mandatory. Absent important reasons, you cannot miss class more than twice. The lectures will be recorded but only made available to those who miss lectures with excused absence. For ETH students: Your grade will consist of two parts: 1) You will take weekly computer-based quizzes during class time. Thus, it is important that you attend the lectures to be able to finish the quizzes and pass this course. 2) You compose short responses to take-home questions on case studies we assign and upload them ahead of class (Pass/Fail). Note that UZH and UNISG students enrolling in this course need to earn more ECTS for completing this course than ETH students (due to curricula reasons). This is why UZH and UNISG students must complete a written assignment in addition to the weekly quizzes and take-home questions. UZH students also have to complete an additional group project. UZH and UNISG students should check out the description of the class at their respective home institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts, prerecorded videos, slides, case studies, and other materials available on a dedicated webpage: contractdesign.org. Access to this webpage is free of charge for ETH students as ETH purchased a license for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Attendance is mandatory. You are only allowed to miss two lectures unless there are special circumstances. Contract Design I is available to ETH students through the Science in Perspective (SiP) Program of D-GESS. This course is particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-CHAB, DMATH, D-MTEC, D-INFK, and D-MAVT. If you have any questions regarding the course, please write an email to the teaching assistants, Lucas Gericke (lucas.gericke@gess.ethz.ch) or Serge von Steiger (serge.vonsteiger@gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0760-00L | Building a Robot Judge: Data Science for Decision-Making Particularly suitable for students of D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MTEC. | W | 3 credits | 2V | E. Ash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course explores the automation of decisions in the legal system. We delve into the machine learning tools needed to predict judge decision-making and ask whether techniques in model explanation and algorithmic fairness are sufficient to address the potential risks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | This course introduces students to the data science tools that may provide the first building blocks for a robot judge. While building a working robot judge might be far off in the future, some of the building blocks are already here, and we will put them to work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Data science technologies have the potential to improve legal decisions by making them more efficient and consistent. On the other hand, there are serious risks that automated systems could replicate or amplify existing legal biases and rigidities. Given the stakes, these technologies force us to think carefully about notions of fairness and justice and how they should be applied. The focus is on legal prediction problems. Given the evidence and briefs in this case, how will a judge probably decide? How likely is a criminal defendant to commit another crime? How much additional revenue will this new tax law collect? Students will investigate and implement the relevant machine learning tools for making these types of predictions, including regression, classification, and deep neural networks models. We then use these predictions to better understand the operation of the legal system. Under what conditions do judges tend to make errors? Against which types of defendants do parole boards exhibit bias? Which jurisdictions have the most tax loopholes? Students will be introduced to emerging applied research in this vein. In a semester paper, students (individually or in groups) will conceive and implement an applied data-science research project. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0742-01L | Contract Design II Does not take place this semester. To be considered for Contract Design II, you must have completed Contract Design I in the same semester. Students can only register for Contract Design II after having obtained approval by Prof. Stremitzer. | W | 1 credit | 1U | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design II is a masterclass in the form of an interactive clinic that allows you to deepen your understanding of contracting by applying insights from Contract Design I to a comprehensive case study. Together with your classmates, you are going to advise a (hypothetical) client organization planning to enter a complex transaction on how to structure the underlying contract. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | There is a possibility that representatives from companies that were previously engaged in similar deals will visit us in class and tell you about their experience firsthand. In Contract Design I, you will receive more detailed information on the content and learning objectives of Contract Design II. If you have urgent questions, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Professor Stremitzer’s Teaching Assistant Diego Caldera (diegoalberto.calderaherrera@uzh.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To enable you to work under the close supervision of your professor and his team, only a small group of students with backgrounds in law, business, or engineering is admitted to this course. This simulation is time-consuming and challenging. Hence, we can only admit the most successful and motivated students to this class. Further information on the application process will follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0732-06L | Law & Tech | W | 3 credits | 2S | A. Stremitzer, J. Merane | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces students to scientific and technological developments that require regulation or enable legal innovation. We focus particularly on the challenges to current law posed by prominent near-future technologies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course is intended for a wide range of ETH students as well as for law students interested in acquiring a better understanding of state-of-the-art technology. The course will combine both an overview of major areas of law that are relevant for the regulation of technology and guest lectures on new technological developments. In previous years, speakers from industry (Google, Youtube), NGOs (Digital Society Switzerland, The European Consumer Organizations), regulatory agencies (Swiss Competition Commission), and academia participated as guest speakers. The course is open to ETH students through the Science in Perspective program of the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The planned course outline is below. - Overview of Law and Technology - Fundamental Rights - AI & Discrimination - Landmark Big Tech Cases - Regulation of Digital Platforms & Content Moderation - Online Consumer Protection - Law and Tech Scholarship Series A number of recent regulations will be discussed, including the EU's AI Act, the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as emerging internet phenomena, like ChatGPT and the Metaverse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0391-00L | Focus on the Human: Human-Centered Security and Privacy Lab The course is particularly suitable for all students who have already completed the course “Human-centered IT Security and Privacy” as some of the concepts introduced will practically be applied in this course. However, the relevant literature and necessary material will be provided to all students and basic concepts will be briefly summarized so that all interested students can participate. | W | 3 credits | 2S | V. Zimmermann, L. Schöni | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | After an introduction on usable security as the intersection of computer science and psychology, students will form teams and work on exemplary security- or privacy-related research questions. The teams will develop and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution. Through input sessions and milestone presentations the human perspective will be incorporated and reflected upon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course makes students experience an exemplary human-centered design process. They will learn about and practically apply human-centered design and evaluation methods that will allow them to view their solution from the human perspective, e.g., the user, developer or website owner perspective. By taking part in the evaluation of other teams, they will also take the user perspective themselves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | At the beginning of the course, the students will receive an introduction to usable IT security and privacy and relevant concepts. Afterwards, a selection of current research questions from that area will be presented. The students form teams and select one of the proposed research questions. This question will accompany the students throughout the semester. They will design and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution to that question. To be able to do so, they will receive input on human-centered design and evaluation tools. Their progress and the inclusion of the human perspective will be subject to feedback in milestone presentations. The students’ human-centered solution can take the form of a concept (e.g., a concept for a product or app), interface (e.g., a visual or tangible interface), or prototype (e.g., sketches, a click-dummy or a built prototype). The solution will then be subject to evaluations. The solutions will be user-tested by members of other teams that thereby take the perspective of a user themselves. In addition, the solutions will be analyzed from different stakeholders’ perspectives, such as developers or website owners. Finally, the students will reflect on potential changes that results from the evaluations and their consequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature Recommendations: Adams, A., & Sasse, M. A. (1999). Users are not the enemy. Communications of the ACM, 42(12), 40-46. Cranor, L. F., & Garfinkel, S. (2005). Security and usability: designing secure systems that people can use. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.". Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2017). Psychologie in der nutzerzentrierten Produktgestaltung: Mensch-Technik-Interaktion-Erlebnis. Springer-Verlag. Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2010). Handbuch zur Fun-ni Toolbox–User Experience Evaluation auf drei Ebenen. Dix, A., & Finlay, J., Abowd, G., Beale, R. (2004). Human-computer interaction. Pearson - PRENTICE HALL. Garfinkel, S., & Lipford, H. R. (2014). Usable security: History, themes, and challenges. Synthesis Lectures on Information Security, Privacy, and Trust, 5(2), 1-124. Nielsen, J. (1999). Designing web usability: The practice of simplicity. New Riders Publishing. Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books (AZ). Reuter, C. (2018). Sicherheitskritische Mensch-Computer-Interaktion. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Sarodnick, F., & Brau, H. (2006). Methoden der Usability Evaluation. Verlag Hans Huber. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course is especially recommended after having participated in the related lecture/exercise "851-0390-00 G Human-Centered IT Security and Privacy". However, previous participantion in the lecture is not a requirement. Additional material will be made available so that also students with no prior knowledge in that area can participate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0125-71L | Whose Responsibility for What? On Individual and Collective Responsibility Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-HEST, D-MTEC, D-USYS Doctoral students can receive credit for the achievements of this course in the section "Transferable Skills". | W | 3 credits | 2G | L. Wingert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Responsibility is a key concept in ethics: The individual's responsibility is emphasized. Contrary to that, one often points to the limits of a person's responsibility, e.g. for a stock market crash, for greenhouse gas emissions, for injust social conditions. What belongs to to our responsibility as individuals and what to our collective responsibility? And do robots have responsibilities? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | 1. Certain concepts should be clarified: e.g., the very meaning of "being responsible for one's actions and its consequences". To what extent are we responsible for the social conditions we find ourselves in? 2. One theoretical position in the philosophy of sociality holds that only individual persons (and not firms, institutions, or states) can be responsible for action and social conditions. Students should be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this thesis (methodological individualism). 3. What does responsibility mean in special social spheres like the economy and the sciences? What does a citizen's collective and personal responsibility consist in? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0742-00L | Contract Design I You can find all course materials and the most recent announcements on Moodle. Please log in to Moodle using your ETH or UZH credentials. Then search for "Contract Design I (851-0742-00L; Fall 2023)" and enroll. The password is "ContractDesign01". It is NOT a legal drafting class focused on contractual language. Number of participants limited to 160. Max 80 ETHZ and 80 UZH Students | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Stremitzer, A. Tacconelli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design I is taught by Professor Stremitzer and aims to bridge the gap between economic contract theory, contract law, and the writing of real-world contracts. In this course, we take a systematic approach to contract design. This means we first analyze the economic environment in which a transaction takes place and then engineer contracts that achieve the desired outcome. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Contracts are agreements between parties to engage in transactions. A good contract creates value by giving parties the right incentives to meet their objectives. A good contract designer scrutinizes the economic situation in which parties find themselves and tailors the contract to the challenges at hand. To help you become sophisticated contract designers, we draw from insights for which more than half a dozen Nobel Prizes were awarded in the past two decades and transfer them to the art of writing real-world contracts. In other words, Contract Design will provide you with analytical tools to design contracts that help you be better lawyers, business leaders, and startup founders. We will cover topics such as moral hazard, adverse selection, elicitation mechanisms, relationship-specific investments, and relational contracting and apply the theoretical insights to real-life case studies ranging from purchases & sales of assets, oil & gas exploration, movie financing, production & distribution, construction & development, M&A deals, venture capital financing, to executive compensation and many other types of transactions. The course follows a flipped-classroom model: You will watch learning videos specifically produced for this course ahead of class. We will use class time to discuss real-world case studies. The videos will be made available before the lecture each week and need to be watched ahead of coming to class. Computer-graded quizzes at the beginning of each class will test students’ understanding of the concepts introduced in the videos. As the emphasis of this class is on class discussion, attendance is mandatory. Absent important reasons, you cannot miss class more than twice. The lectures will be recorded but only made available to those who miss lectures with excused absence. For ETH students: Your grade will consist of two parts: 1) You will take weekly computer-based quizzes during class time. Thus, it is important that you attend the lectures to be able to finish the quizzes and pass this course. 2) You compose short responses to take-home questions on case studies we assign and upload them ahead of class (Pass/Fail). Note that UZH and UNISG students enrolling in this course need to earn more ECTS for completing this course than ETH students (due to curricula reasons). This is why UZH and UNISG students must complete a written assignment in addition to the weekly quizzes and take-home questions. UZH students also have to complete an additional group project. UZH and UNISG students should check out the description of the class at their respective home institutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Handouts, prerecorded videos, slides, case studies, and other materials available on a dedicated webpage: contractdesign.org. Access to this webpage is free of charge for ETH students as ETH purchased a license for ETH students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Attendance is mandatory. You are only allowed to miss two lectures unless there are special circumstances. Contract Design I is available to ETH students through the Science in Perspective (SiP) Program of D-GESS. This course is particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-CHAB, DMATH, D-MTEC, D-INFK, and D-MAVT. If you have any questions regarding the course, please write an email to the teaching assistants, Lucas Gericke (lucas.gericke@gess.ethz.ch) or Serge von Steiger (serge.vonsteiger@gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-01L | The Role of Intellectual Property in the Engineering and Technical Sector Particularly suitable for students of D-BAUG, D-BIOL, D-BSSE, D-CHAB, D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | K. Houshang Pour Islam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture gives an overview of the fundamental aspects of intellectual property, which plays an important role in the daily routine of engineers and scientists. The lecture aims to make participants aware of the various methods of protection and to put them in a position to use this knowledge in the workplace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | In recent years, knowledge about intellectual property has become increasingly important for engineers and scientists. Both in production and distribution and in research and development, they are increasingly being confronted with questions concerning the patenting of technical inventions and the use of patent information. The lecture will acquaint participants with practical aspects of intellectual property and enable them to use the acquired knowledge in their future professional life. Topics covered during the lecture will include: - The importance of innovation in industrialised countries - An overview of the different forms of intellectual property - The protection of technical inventions and how to safeguard their commercialisation - Patents as a source of technical and business information - Practical aspects of intellectual property in day-to-day research, at the workplace and for the formation of start-ups. Case studies will illustrate and deepen the topics addressed during the lecture. The seminar will include practical exercises on how to use and search patent information. Basic knowledge of how to read and evaluate patent documents as well as how to use publicly available patent databases to obtain the required patent information will also be provided. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture addresses students in the fields of engineering, science and other related technical fields. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0738-00L | Intellectual Property: Introduction Particularly suitable for students of D-CHAB, D-INFK, D-ITET, D-MAVT, D- MATL, D-MTEC. | W | 2 credits | 2V | M. Schweizer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The course provides an introduction to Swiss and European intellectual property law (trademarks, copyright, patent and design rights). The legal principles are developed based on current cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The aim of this course is to enable students at ETH Zurich to recognize which rights may protect their creations, and which rights may be infringed as a result of their activities. Students should learn to assess the risks and opportunities of intellectual property rights in the development and marketing of new products. To put them in this position, they need to know the prerequisites and scope of protection afforded by the various intellectual property rights as well as the practical difficulties involved in the enforcement of intellectual property rights. This knowledge is imparted based on current rulings and cases. Another goal is to enable the students to participate in the current debate over the goals and desirability of protecting intellectual creations, particularly in the areas of copyright (keywords: fair use, Creative Commons, Copyleft) and patent law (software patents, patent trolls, patent thickets). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0735-10L | Startups and Law Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET, D-MAVT. | W | 2 credits | 2V | P. Peyrot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The students shall obtain a basic knowledge about the legal environment of entrepreneurs. They shall be able to recognize and evaluate legal issues connected to an entrepreneurial activity and suggest possible solutions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The students shall obtain the following competence: - They shall obtain a working knowledge on the legal aspects involved in setting up and managing an enterprize. - They shall be acquainted with corporate functions as contracting, negotiation, claims management and dispute resolution - They shall be familiar with the issues of corporate compliance, i.e. the system to ascertain that all legal and ethical rules are observed. - They shall be able to contribute to the legal management of the company and to discuss legal issues. - They shall have an understanding of the law as a part of the corporate strategy and as a valuable ressource of the company. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A comprehensive script will be made available online on the moodle platform. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0703-00L | Introduction to Law | W | 2 credits | 2V | O. Streiff Gnöpff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This class introduces students into basic features of the legal system. Fundamental issues of constitutional law, administrative law, private law and the law of the EU are covered. The focus is on legal problems related to space. Active participation is expected in short interactive sequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students are able to identify basic structures of the legal system. They unterstand selected topics of public and private law. They are able to apply the fundamentals in more advanced law classes and to recognize the relevance of law in their own field. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Basic concepts of law, sources of law. Private law: Contract law (particularly contract for work and services), tort law, property law. Public law: Human rights, administrative law, procurement law, procedural law. Insights into the law of the EU and into criminal law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Jaap Hage, Bram Akkermans (Eds.), Introduction to Law, Cham 2017 (Online Resource ETH Library) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Further documents will be available online (https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=20127) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 853-0047-01L | World Politics Since 1945: The History of International Relations (Without Exercises) | W | 3 credits | 2V | A. Wenger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This lecture series provides students with an overview of the development of international relations since the end of World War II. The first part of the series deals with the development of and changes in Cold War security policy structures. The second part deals with the period after the transformation of 1989/91; the focus here is on current issues in international security policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | By the end of the semester, participants should have a solid knowledge of the history and theoretical foundations of International Relations since the end of the Second World War. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | cf. "Diploma Supplement" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecure is being supported by a website on Moodle. If you have any questions, please contact Quentin Merle (quentin.merle@sipo.gess.ethz.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 853-0725-00L | History Part One: Europe (The Cradle of Modernity, Britain, 1789-1914) | W | 3 credits | 2V | H. Fischer-Tiné | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | A range of fundamental processes have transformed European societies in the course of the 19th and the 20th centuries. This lecture series looks a several key aspects of these modernization processes and ask about their continuing relevance for our times . The regional focus lies on the Britain, where these processes took place for the first time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | At the end of this lecture course, students can: (a) highlight the most important changes in the "long nineteenth century" in Britain (b) explain their long-term effects (also for other European countries ; and (c) relate these changes to global developments today. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The thematic foci include: Industrialization, urban growth, democratisation and mass politics, shifting gender roles and ideals, and the emergence of consumerism and leisure culture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Power Point Slides and references will be made available in digital form during the course of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Mandatory and further reading will be listed on the course plan that is made available as from the first session. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This lecture series does not build upon specific previous knowledge by the students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 701-0703-00L | Environmental Ethics (University of Zurich) No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH as an incoming student. UZH Module Code: 07SMEEE266 Please register at: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/de/studies/application/chmobilityin.html after you received your logon information you can enrol to courses at: https://studentservices.uzh.ch/uzh/application#/Logon Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/studies/application/deadlines.html | W | 3 credits | 2V | University lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The pressing environmental challenges of today demand a critical reflection. Ethics is an important tool for doing so. This lecture introduces the basics of ethics and provides in-depth knowledge of environmental ethics and its debates. This theoretical background will be applied and critically reflected using examples of current environmental challenges. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | On completion of this lecture, you have acquired the ability to identify, analyze, critically reflect and resolve ethical challenges in general and specifically regarding the environment. You know basic concepts, positions and lines of argumentation from the debate in environmental ethics, which you have applied and discussed in smaller exercises. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 853-0061-00L | Introduction to Cybersecurity Politics | W | 3 credits | 2G | M. Dunn Cavelty, F. J. Egloff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture is an introduction to global cybersecurity politics. The focus is on the strategic use of cyberspace by state and non-state actors (threats) and different answers to these new challenges (countermeasures). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants learn to assess the advantages and disadvantages of cyberspace as a domain for strategic military operations. They understand the technical basics of cyber operations and know how technology and politics are interlinked in this area. They understand the security challenges for and the motivations of states to be active in cyberspace offensively and defensively and they are familiar with the consequences for international politics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | We start with an overview of cybersecurity issue from 1980 to today and look at events and actors responsible for turning cybersecurity matters into a security political issue with top priority. After familiarizing ourselves with the technical basics, we look at different forms of cyberviolence and trends in cyber conflicts (technique in social and political practice). Then, we turn to countermeasures: we compare national cybersecurity strategies, examine international norms building, and scrutinize concepts such as cyber-power and cyber-deterrence (technique in social and political regulartory contexts). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | A script with background information and comments on the literature will be made available at the beginning of the semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature for each session will be available on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is being supported by a website on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 853-8002-00L | The Role of Technology in National and International Security Policy | W | 3 credits | 2G | O. Thränert, A. Dossi, M. Leese, N. Masuhr | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The lecture provides an introduction to the role of security and military technologies in the formulation and implementation of national and international security policies. The focus is on challenges posed by new and developing technologies, the transformation of military capabilities, and the question of regulation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants will gain an in-depth overview of the many ways in which technology is becoming part of security policies and practices, in both civilian and military contexts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Der erste Teil befasst sich mit den vielgestaltigen und komplexen Beziehungen zwischen Konzepten nationaler und internationaler Sicherheit, der Förderung von Forschung und Entwicklung, ökonomischen Aspekten von Technologie, und Aussenpolitik und Diplomatie. Der zweite Teil behandelt die Auswirkungen von neuen Technologien auf militärische Kapazitäten, strategische Optionen, und Militärdoktrinen in Krieg und Frieden. Der dritte Teil konzentriert sich auf regulatorische Herausforderungen, die aus der Implementierung und der globalen Weiterverbreitung von Technologie resultieren. Der letzte Teil schliesslich beschäftigt sich mit den Herausforderungen für den Staat im Umgang mit neuen und noch in der Entwicklung befindlicher Technologien, vorrangig in den sensiblen Bereich der Rüstungsbeschaffung und des nachrichtendienstlichen Einsatzes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literatur für die einzelnen Sitzungen wird auf Moodle bereitgestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The lecture is being supported by a website on Moodle. If you have any questions, please contact Quentin Merle, quentin.merle@sipo.gess.ethz.ch. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0742-01L | Contract Design II Does not take place this semester. To be considered for Contract Design II, you must have completed Contract Design I in the same semester. Students can only register for Contract Design II after having obtained approval by Prof. Stremitzer. | W | 1 credit | 1U | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design II is a masterclass in the form of an interactive clinic that allows you to deepen your understanding of contracting by applying insights from Contract Design I to a comprehensive case study. Together with your classmates, you are going to advise a (hypothetical) client organization planning to enter a complex transaction on how to structure the underlying contract. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | There is a possibility that representatives from companies that were previously engaged in similar deals will visit us in class and tell you about their experience firsthand. In Contract Design I, you will receive more detailed information on the content and learning objectives of Contract Design II. If you have urgent questions, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Professor Stremitzer’s Teaching Assistant Diego Caldera (diegoalberto.calderaherrera@uzh.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To enable you to work under the close supervision of your professor and his team, only a small group of students with backgrounds in law, business, or engineering is admitted to this course. This simulation is time-consuming and challenging. Hence, we can only admit the most successful and motivated students to this class. Further information on the application process will follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0391-00L | Focus on the Human: Human-Centered Security and Privacy Lab The course is particularly suitable for all students who have already completed the course “Human-centered IT Security and Privacy” as some of the concepts introduced will practically be applied in this course. However, the relevant literature and necessary material will be provided to all students and basic concepts will be briefly summarized so that all interested students can participate. | W | 3 credits | 2S | V. Zimmermann, L. Schöni | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | After an introduction on usable security as the intersection of computer science and psychology, students will form teams and work on exemplary security- or privacy-related research questions. The teams will develop and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution. Through input sessions and milestone presentations the human perspective will be incorporated and reflected upon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The course makes students experience an exemplary human-centered design process. They will learn about and practically apply human-centered design and evaluation methods that will allow them to view their solution from the human perspective, e.g., the user, developer or website owner perspective. By taking part in the evaluation of other teams, they will also take the user perspective themselves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | At the beginning of the course, the students will receive an introduction to usable IT security and privacy and relevant concepts. Afterwards, a selection of current research questions from that area will be presented. The students form teams and select one of the proposed research questions. This question will accompany the students throughout the semester. They will design and evaluate a concept for a human-centered solution to that question. To be able to do so, they will receive input on human-centered design and evaluation tools. Their progress and the inclusion of the human perspective will be subject to feedback in milestone presentations. The students’ human-centered solution can take the form of a concept (e.g., a concept for a product or app), interface (e.g., a visual or tangible interface), or prototype (e.g., sketches, a click-dummy or a built prototype). The solution will then be subject to evaluations. The solutions will be user-tested by members of other teams that thereby take the perspective of a user themselves. In addition, the solutions will be analyzed from different stakeholders’ perspectives, such as developers or website owners. Finally, the students will reflect on potential changes that results from the evaluations and their consequences. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Literature Recommendations: Adams, A., & Sasse, M. A. (1999). Users are not the enemy. Communications of the ACM, 42(12), 40-46. Cranor, L. F., & Garfinkel, S. (2005). Security and usability: designing secure systems that people can use. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.". Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2017). Psychologie in der nutzerzentrierten Produktgestaltung: Mensch-Technik-Interaktion-Erlebnis. Springer-Verlag. Diefenbach, S., & Hassenzahl, M. (2010). Handbuch zur Fun-ni Toolbox–User Experience Evaluation auf drei Ebenen. Dix, A., & Finlay, J., Abowd, G., Beale, R. (2004). Human-computer interaction. Pearson - PRENTICE HALL. Garfinkel, S., & Lipford, H. R. (2014). Usable security: History, themes, and challenges. Synthesis Lectures on Information Security, Privacy, and Trust, 5(2), 1-124. Nielsen, J. (1999). Designing web usability: The practice of simplicity. New Riders Publishing. Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic Books (AZ). Reuter, C. (2018). Sicherheitskritische Mensch-Computer-Interaktion. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Sarodnick, F., & Brau, H. (2006). Methoden der Usability Evaluation. Verlag Hans Huber. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | This course is especially recommended after having participated in the related lecture/exercise "851-0390-00 G Human-Centered IT Security and Privacy". However, previous participantion in the lecture is not a requirement. Additional material will be made available so that also students with no prior knowledge in that area can participate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D-PHYS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0101-86L | Complex Social Systems: Modeling Agents, Learning, and Games Prerequisites: Basic programming skills, elementary probability and statistics. | W | 3 credits | 2S | D. N. Dailisan, D. Carpentras, D. Helbing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course introduces mathematical and computational models to study techno-socioeconomic systems and the process of scientific research. Students develop a significant project to tackle techno-socio-economic challenges in application domains of complex systems. They are expected to implement a model and to communicate their results through a project report and a short oral presentation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | See your own field of study in a wider context (“Science in Perspective”), e.g. see the psychological, social, economic, environmental, historical, ethical,or philosophical connections and implications. Learn to think critically and out of the box. Question what you believe you know for sure. Get to know surprising, counterintuitive properties of complex (non-linearly interacting, networked, multi-component) systems. Learn about collaboration. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | By the end of the course, the students should be able to better understand the literature on complex social systems, develop their own models for studying specific phenomena and report results according to the standards of the relevant scientific literature by presenting their results both numerically and graphically. At the end of the course, the students will deliver a report, computer code and a short oral presentation. To collect credit points, students will have to actively contribute and give a circa 30 minutes presentation in the course on a subject agreed with the lecturers, after which the presentation will be discussed. The presentation will be graded. Students are expected to implement themselves models of techno-socio-economic processes and systems, particularly agent-based models, complex networks models, decision making, group dynamics, human crowds, or game-theoretical models. Credit points are finally earned for the implementation of a mathematical or empirical model from the complexity science literature, its presentation, and documentation by a project report. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The lecture slides will be presented on the course Moodle after each lecture. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Agent-Based Modeling https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-24004-1_2 Social Self-Organization https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642240034 Traffic and related self-driven many-particle systems Reviews of Modern Physics 73, 1067 https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.73.1067 An Analytical Theory of Traffic Flow (collection of papers) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261629187 Pedestrian, Crowd, and Evacuation Dynamics https://www.research-collection.ethz.ch/handle/20.500.11850/45424 The hidden geometry of complex, network-driven contagion phenomena (relevant for modeling pandemic spread) https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6164/1337 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The number of participants is limited to the size of the available computer teaching room. The source code related to the seminar thesis should be well enough documented. Good programming skills and a good understanding of probability & statistics and calculus are expected. Students need to present a new subject, for which they have not earned any credit points before. Good scientific practices, in particular citation and quotation rules, must be properly complied with. Chatham House rules apply to this course. Materials may not be shared without previous written permission. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0742-01L | Contract Design II Does not take place this semester. To be considered for Contract Design II, you must have completed Contract Design I in the same semester. Students can only register for Contract Design II after having obtained approval by Prof. Stremitzer. | W | 1 credit | 1U | A. Stremitzer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Contract Design II is a masterclass in the form of an interactive clinic that allows you to deepen your understanding of contracting by applying insights from Contract Design I to a comprehensive case study. Together with your classmates, you are going to advise a (hypothetical) client organization planning to enter a complex transaction on how to structure the underlying contract. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | There is a possibility that representatives from companies that were previously engaged in similar deals will visit us in class and tell you about their experience firsthand. In Contract Design I, you will receive more detailed information on the content and learning objectives of Contract Design II. If you have urgent questions, please do not hesitate to send an e-mail to Professor Stremitzer’s Teaching Assistant Diego Caldera (diegoalberto.calderaherrera@uzh.ch). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | To enable you to work under the close supervision of your professor and his team, only a small group of students with backgrounds in law, business, or engineering is admitted to this course. This simulation is time-consuming and challenging. Hence, we can only admit the most successful and motivated students to this class. Further information on the application process will follow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0162-00L | Philosophy of Physics | W | 3 credits | 2S | M. Hampe, R. Wallny | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Close reading of and reflection about selected texts from physicists (e.g. C.F: Weizsäcker, Wilczek, Susskind) on the philosophical problems and consequences of their work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Participants should develop a clear view of the epistemological foundations of their work and its consequences for philosophy of science and philosophy of nature. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Newton's opus magnum of 1687 is still called a philosophy of nature: "Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica". The separation of physics from philosophy is new, and institutionally executed only in the 19th century. Since than the experiment is not a philosophical method and mahematical symbolization not part of the languages of philosophy anymore. But although the subjects were divided methodically they stayed in contact via their content. This can be seen in the reflexions of physicists like C. F: v. Weizsächer, Frank Wilczek or Leonard Susskind, who were all concerned with epistemological questions and topics related to the philosophy of science and philosophy of nature. The seminar is devoted to these reflections and will ask in what relation the philosophy of physicists stands to the physics of their time. We will discuss problems of the unity of physics, of emerging laws and of the beauty or ugliness of the physical universe resp. the theories about it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | see moodle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course follows the concept of an "inverted classroom". A prerequisite is that the relevant texts have been read prior to the lecture. The assistants will give support. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D-USYS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | Title | Type | ECTS | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 860-0023-00L | International Environmental Politics Particularly suitable for students of D-ITET, D-USYS. | W | 3 credits | 2V | T. Bernauer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course deals with how and why international problem-solving efforts (cooperation) in environmental politics emerge and evolve, and under what circumstances such efforts are effective. Based on concepts and theories of political economy, political science, and public policy, various examples of international environmental policy-making are examined. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objectives in this course are to (1) gain an overview of important questions pertaining to international environmental politics from a social sciences viewpoint; (2) learn how to identify interesting/innovative questions in this policy area and how to address them in a conceptually and methodologically meaningful and insightful way; (3) gain an overview of important global and regional environmental problems and how they are or could be solved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course deals with how and why international problem-solving efforts (cooperation) in environmental politics emerge and evolve, and under what circumstances such efforts are effective. Based on concepts and theories of political economy, political science, and public policy, various examples of international environmental policy-making are examined, for example international efforts to reduce air pollution, manage international water resources, mitigate and adapt to global warming, protect the stratospheric ozone layer, address biodiversity challenges, deal with plastic waste, and prevent pollution of the oceans. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Reading materials and slides will be available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Reading materials and slides will be available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Access / Prerequisites The course is open to all ETH students and visiting students from other universities. Participation does not require previous coursework in the social sciences or environmental policy. This course will take place on campus (ETH Main Building, HG F.3). There will be no live-streaming, and the course is NOT in hybrid (on-campus plus online) format. However, the lecture will be recorded and the recordings will be made available via the Moodle platform for this course a few days after the respective lecture for students who are unable to attend in person. All electronic correspondence will take place via the ETH mystudies system and Moodle, so please make sure you are properly registered there with a functioning email address/account. Credits and Exam After passing a written test at the end of the course (requirement: grade 4.0 or higher) students will receive 3 ECTS credit points. The workload is around 90 hours (meetings, reading assignments, preparation of test). Visiting students (e.g., from the University of Zurich, exchange students) are subject to the same conditions. Registration of visiting students in the web-based system of ETH is compulsory. Students who obtain a grade of < 4.0 for the test will have a second chance (see table below). Students who did not participate in the test on 18 December 2023 will not have access to the repeat test unless they submit compelling and documented (e.g. medical, other exam in parallel at ETH) reasons for why they were unable to participate in the first test. It covers all contents of the lectures and the reading assignments. Visiting students (e.g., from the University of Zurich or other universities) are subject to the same conditions. Registration for the course in the mystudies system of ETH is compulsory. No separate registration for the exam is required, registration for the course as such covers everything. The exam will take place on campus, either in the F3 lecture hall or in a computer room. That is, you must be present in person at ETH Zurich on the exam date/time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 851-0707-00L | Space Planning Law and Environment Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-USYS. | W | 2 credits | 2G | O. Bucher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | System of swiss planning law, Constitutional and statutory provisions, Space planning and fundamental rights, Instruments, Application, legal protection, enforcement, Practical training. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Basic unterstanding of nature and function of space planning from a legal point of view. Basic knowledge of space planning instruments, relationship between space planning and constitutional law (especially property rights), solving of practical cases. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Die Vorlesung basiert wesentlich auf der Mitwirkung der Studenten. Es finden 3 Sitzungen im Hörsaal statt, in welchen sich in der Praxis stellende Probleme erörtert werden. Die Vorbereitung auf die jeweiligen Sitzungen erfolgt an Hand von Fallbearbeitungen und einem Selbststudium an Hand des Lehrbuchs zum Raumplanungs- und Baurecht. Lösen von drei Aufgaben (praktischen Fällen) mit je genügender Leistung für die Erlangung der KP. Als Lernhilfe werden Anleitungen und insbesondere ein Musterfall mit Musterlösung zur Verfügung gestellt. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Haller, Walter/Karlen, Peter, Raumplanung-, Bau- und Umweltrecht, 3.A., Zürich 1999 Hänni, Peter, Planungs-, Bau- und besonderes Umweltschutzrecht, 7.A., Bern 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Competencies |
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| 701-0703-00L | Environmental Ethics (University of Zurich) No enrolment to this course at ETH Zurich. Book the corresponding module directly at UZH as an incoming student. UZH Module Code: 07SMEEE266 Please register at: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/de/studies/application/chmobilityin.html after you received your logon information you can enrol to courses at: https://studentservices.uzh.ch/uzh/application#/Logon Mind the enrolment deadlines at UZH: https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/studies/application/deadlines.html | W | 3 credits | 2V | University lecturers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | The pressing environmental challenges of today demand a critical reflection. Ethics is an important tool for doing so. This lecture introduces the basics of ethics and provides in-depth knowledge of environmental ethics and its debates. This theoretical background will be applied and critically reflected using examples of current environmental challenges. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | On completion of this lecture, you have acquired the ability to identify, analyze, critically reflect and resolve ethical challenges in general and specifically regarding the environment. You know basic concepts, positions and lines of argumentation from the debate in environmental ethics, which you have applied and discussed in smaller exercises. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 701-0747-00L | Environmental Policy of Switzerland | W | 3 credits | 2G | E. Lieberherr | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course presents the basics of public policy analysis and the specific characteristics of Swiss environmental policy. Policy instruments, actors and processes are addressed from a political science perspective both theoretically as well as by means of current Swiss environmental policy examples. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Beyond acquiring basic knowledge about public policy analysis, this course teaches students how to analytically address current and concrete questions of environmental policy. Through exercises the students learn about political science concepts and frameworks as well as real-life political decision-making processes. The well-grounded examination of complex political conflict situations is an important precondition for the entry into the (environmental policy) workforce or a future research career. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The processes of change, overuse or destruction of the natural environment through humans have historically placed high demands on social and political institutions. In the interplay between the environment, society and economy, the environmental policy field encompasses the sum of public measures that have the goal to eliminate, reduce or avoid environmental degradation. The course systematically presents the basics of environmental policy instruments, actors, programs and processes as well as their change over time. Invited practitioners will provide us with insight regarding the current developments in forest, water and spatial planning policies. A key aspect is the distinction between politics and political science and specifically environmental policy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | The reader and additional lecture material and exercises will be posted on Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Reader and additional lecture material on moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The detailed semester program (syllabus) is made available to the students at the beginning of the semester. During the lecture we will work with Moodle and eduApp. We ask that all students register themselves on these platforms before the lecture and to bring a laptop, tablet or smartphone to class, so that you can complete exercises using Moodle and eduApp. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0724-01L | Real Estate Property Law Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-USYS. | W | 3 credits | 3V | S. Stucki, R. Müller-Wyss | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Real estate property law (esp. content, acquisition, restrictions under private and public law, transmission and loss). Legal presentation: land register, surveying, cadastre. Basic questions of contract and tax law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The legal principles of real estate property law can be correctly interpreted and applied in daily life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | Real estate property law (esp. content, acquisition, restrictions under private and public law, transmission and loss). Legal presentation: land register, surveying, cadastre. Basic questions of contract and tax law. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Abgegebene Unterlagen: Skript in digitaler Form | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | - Adrian Mühlematter / Stephan Stucki: Grundbuchrecht für die Praxis, Zürich 2016 - Wolfgang Ernst / Samuel Zogg: Sachenrecht in a nutshell, Zürich 2020 - Jörg Schmid / Bettina Hürlimann-Kaup: Sachenrecht, Zürich 2017 - Meinrad Huser, Schweizerisches Vermessungsrecht, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Geoinformationsrecht und des Grundbuchrechts, Zürich 2014 - Meinrad Huser, Geo-Informationsrecht, Rechtlicher Rahmen für Geographische Informationssyteme, Zürich 2005 - Meinrad Huser, Darstellung von Grenzen zur Sicherung dinglicher Rechte, in ZBGR 2013, 238 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Baubeschränkungen und Grundbuch, in BR/DC 4/2016, 197 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Publikation von Eigentumsbeschränkungen - neue Regeln, in Baurecht 4/2010, S. 169 - Meinrad Huser, Der Aufteilungsplan im Stockwerkeigentum: Neue Darstellung – grössere Rechtsverbindlichkeit, in ZBGR 2020, S. 203 ff. - Meinrad Huser, Datenschutz bei Geodaten, in: Passadelis/Rosenthal/Thür, Datenschutzrecht, Basel 2015, S. 513 ff. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 851-0196-00L | Philosophy of Pure and Applied Mathematics: From Foundations to Practice | W | 3 credits | 2S | Y. P.‑H. Hamami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from actual mathematical practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | The objective of this course is to help students develop a reflective stance on what mathematics is and on its special place in the landscape of human knowledge. We expect students to be able to report the main philosophical conceptions of what mathematics is. We also expect them to be familiar with key debates in the philosophy of mathematics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | This course is a general introduction to the philosophy of mathematics for science, mathematics and engineering students. It will introduce the main views and debates on the nature of mathematics present in contemporary philosophy. A special focus will be put on questions pertaining to the foundations of mathematics as well as on philosophical issues emerging from the actual practice of mathematics. The course is composed of four parts. Part I: Foundations of Mathematics. In this first part of the course, we will present the debates concerning the foundations of mathematics at the turn of the twentieth century. We will review the three main philosophical conceptions of mathematics developed during this period: logicism, formalism and intuitionism. Part II: Ontology and Epistemology of Mathematical Objects What is the nature of mathematical objects? And how can we acquire knowledge about them? Here we will present several ways of approaching these questions. We will discuss philosophical views that conceive mathematical objects as similar to physical objects, as creations of the human mind, as fictional characters, and as places in larger structures. We will see the strengths and weaknesses of these different views. Part III: Philosophy of Mathematical Practice In this part of the course, we will be concerned with a recent movement in the philosophy of mathematics dealing with the actual practice of mathematics. We will see two trends of research developed within this tradition. The first one aims to explain how we can think and reason mathematically with non-linguistic representations such as diagrams and symbolic notations. The second one asks whether there could be such things as explanations in mathematics and if yes what they are. The paradigmatic examples we will discuss here are mathematical proofs that not only establish that a theorem is true but also explain why it is true. Part IV: The Applicability of Mathematics to the Natural World It is a truism that mathematics is used everywhere in the natural and social sciences. But how come that mathematics applies so well to the natural world? If mathematics is just a pure game with symbols, or a pure invention of the human mind, it seems difficult to explain why it is so useful when formulating scientific theories about the world. In this part of the course, we will discuss this problem known as the applicability of mathematics, and we will see different philosophical solutions that have been developed to address it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0125-71L | Whose Responsibility for What? On Individual and Collective Responsibility Particularly suitable for students of D-ARCH, D-BAUG, D-HEST, D-MTEC, D-USYS Doctoral students can receive credit for the achievements of this course in the section "Transferable Skills". | W | 3 credits | 2G | L. Wingert | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | Responsibility is a key concept in ethics: The individual's responsibility is emphasized. Contrary to that, one often points to the limits of a person's responsibility, e.g. for a stock market crash, for greenhouse gas emissions, for injust social conditions. What belongs to to our responsibility as individuals and what to our collective responsibility? And do robots have responsibilities? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | 1. Certain concepts should be clarified: e.g., the very meaning of "being responsible for one's actions and its consequences". To what extent are we responsible for the social conditions we find ourselves in? 2. One theoretical position in the philosophy of sociality holds that only individual persons (and not firms, institutions, or states) can be responsible for action and social conditions. Students should be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this thesis (methodological individualism). 3. What does responsibility mean in special social spheres like the economy and the sciences? What does a citizen's collective and personal responsibility consist in? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 860-0012-00L | Cooperation and Conflict Over International Water Resources Does not take place this semester. This lecture is no longer offered from the autumn semester of 2023. | W | 3 credits | 2G | T. Bernauer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This course focuses on the technical, economic, and political challenges of dealing with water allocation and pollution problems in large international river systems. It examines ways and means through which such challenges are or can be addressed, and when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Ability to (1) understand the causes and consequences of water scarcity and water pollution problems in large international river systems; (2) understand ways and means of addressing such water challenges; and (3) analyse when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The first six meetings serve to acquire basic knowledge on the science and politics of international water management. This will be followed by five meetings that focus on specific cases (international river systems) and a meeting where we discuss what can be learned from the five cases. For this part of the class we have invited several colleagues with long-standing expertise on the respective international river basin. 20.Sep Global water challenges 27.Sep Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us 04.Oct Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us 11.Oct Water pollution and its mitigation 18.Oct Key challenges in international river systems 25.Oct Key challenges in international river systems 01.Nov Case study 1: Yarmuk 08.Nov Case study 2: Mekong 15.Nov Case study 3: Colorado 22.Nov Case study 4: Nile 29.Nov Case study 5: Central Asia 06.Dec Wrap up: what we can learn from these case studies 13.Dec Exam 20.Dec No class Exam: 3 ECTS, based on grade ≥ 4.0 in written test at the end of the semester. 90 minutes; 13 December 2022, 12:15 – 13:45; same room as the course. The exam covers the mandatory reading assignments as well as lectures and discussion parts in class. The exam will consist of around ten questions that require answers in a few sentences each. Permitted supporting material: dictionary, ink-based pen, no laptops, no mobile phones, no calculators, no printed or hand-written material. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | Slides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | Slides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | The course is open to Master and doctoral students from any area of ETH. Limited to 40 students. Most meetings will take place on campus, with no recording of meetings. Participation in this course only makes sense if you can attend classes regularly in person. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 851-0763-00L | Supervised Research (Law, Economics, and Data Science) | W | 3 credits | E. Ash, S. Galletta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | This is a supervised student project for 3 ECTS, supervised by the professorship of Elliott Ash (D-GESS). Students will adapt tools from econometrics and machine learning to questions in law, data science, and social science. Students must have some data science and/or statistics experience. Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Apply tools from data science and social science to a new project, potentially in a group, to develop a paper or app. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | Some programming experience in Python, Stata, or R is required. Some experience with data science or statistics is required. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||