More support than ever: 3,900 donations strengthened ETH Zurich in 2025

In the past year, numerous private individuals, foundations and companies supported ETH with over 3,900 donations, bequests and legacies totalling more than CHF 685 million. This exceptionally high amount is partly attributable to the donation from the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. The partnership had already been announced in 2023.

Philanthropy enables progress in future fields

A key focus of the past year was strengthening dialogue between science, politics and society through the establishment of the Albert Einstein School of Public Policy. Philanthropic support from various donors is enabling the expansion of research, teaching and continuing education in this area, as well as the development of new formats for exchange with policymakers and public administration.

Donations also provided important impetus in other areas. The Albert Lück-Stiftung is enabling a research project that scientifically examines the natural disaster in Blatten in the Lötschental, contributing to improved early detection and greater resilience in similar events. Swissquote is strengthening the Zurich Information Security & Privacy Center, thereby supporting practice-oriented research in cybersecurity and fraud prevention.

Everllence, in turn, is creating new postdoctoral positions in the field of sector coupling and energy models – a commitment that advances the development of AI-supported energy systems and thus contributes to the energy transition.

Another central pillar of philanthropic support remains the promotion of talent. Students from financially challenging backgrounds gain access to first-class education through ETH scholarships, outstanding Master’s students are supported with Excellence Scholarships, and young entrepreneurs are able to translate their research into market-ready innovations thanks to Pioneer Fellowships – ranging from autonomous weeding robots for agriculture to new recycling processes for rare earth elements.

Shaping the future together

The large number of supporters clearly demonstrates how strongly ETH Zurich is positioned and embedded in science, industry and society. Behind every donation lies a personal decision to invest in education, research and innovation. For the university, this is crucial, as Pius Baschera, President of the ETH Foundation, emphasises: “Philanthropic engagement gives ETH Zurich the freedom to pursue visionary research and create pioneering solutions.”