Counselling Info

Completely confidential! We will do what we can to help and can point you towards specialist contacts within or outside ETH when necessary!
counselling@aveth.ch

Our mission

Our team of doctoral students and postdocs is looking forward to having you contact us, where we will arrange to speak with you directly to provide you with the support you need. We provide guidance, support, and an open ear to doctoral students and postdocs in difficult situations with their boss and colleagues. Help them navigate the ETH bureaucracy by making them aware of the various support resources at ETH, be it legal, institutional, or otherwise.

We listen to your story, and if you want to get advice, we can provide it. If you need assistance in a situation by de-escalation or mediation we are able to join you. We encourage you to contact us if you would like discussions about possibilities and coaching toward improving your situation within your research or as employee within ETH.

Listende-escalatediscussadvicemediatecoach

Other services we advise you to contact

The counselling helpdesk consists of volunteers from the department association. They aim to help you finding solutions in early stages of conflicts on academic, administrative or personal issues. They are happy to help answering any question you might have regarding rights and working condition regulation by ETH Zurich and/or Swiss government. They can provide you with information and refer you to the appropriate centres if more specialized help is needed. No action will be taken all along the process without your prior consent. They are here to listen and support, in a confidential way.

Ombudspersons

The ombudspersons offer advice on the following topics: workplace conflict and conflict involving instructors. Whistle blowing in case of suspected illegal action by members of ETH Zurich. Other cases of breaches of ETH Zurich’s compliance guide.

Peter FrischknechtMargrit LeitholdGerhard TroesterKathrin TeuscherOmbudspersons

 Trusted Intermediaries

The trusted intermediaries serve as contact persons for all questions of research integrity. Some examples include: authorship conflicts, suspected plagiarism in scientific publications, falsification and fabrication of data, problems with sharing data or handing them over when leaving ETH Zurich, conflicts of interest, insufficient support for junior scientist (in collaboration with the vice rector of doctoral studies).

Renate Schubert & Rainer Schulin & Peter Widmeyer Trusted Intermediaries
Psychological Counseling Services

You can contact the Professional Psychological Counseling Service that provides psychological counselling for students and doctoral students. These services are not currently available for postdocs, but if you contact we can help finding a therapist.

EmailÄrztefon Kanton ZürichWebsite
Nightline  

Nightline Zurich, an independent help-line for students of ETH Zurich, UZH, ZHAW, ZHdK and PHZH, can be reached anonymously and confidentially during the semester from Monday to Friday 20.00-24.00 by phone and via e-mail or chat

Email044 633 77 77Website

ETH Units

Units from ETH can provide help for specialized topics. If you are bothered by bullying, harassment and discrimination, you can contact the specialized unit within ETH concerned with mutual respect. Contact the specialist unit SSHE: Threats and violence, and external advice centre.

SSHE campaign contact

Contact the external office for Bullying, harassment and discrimination.

Advice centre contact
ETH Units

Office for start-ups is the place to find guidance and further information on funding, organization, rules&rights, workshops and everything related to initiating your own start-up company.

Entrepreneurship

Doctoral candidates from ETHZ who are proven to be in financial difficulty may apply for financial support in the form of a loan towards study fees and living expenses, up to a total amount of CHF 12,000. Due to the Corona situation short-​term loans are possible up to CHF 5,000. They are granted from as early as the first semester in order to help students overcome temporary financial difficulties. All loans are interest-​free. A loan application may be submitted at any time. Application forms are available from the Financial Aid Office.

Financial Aid Office

Are you new at ETHZ?

AVETH Survival Guide has been renewed and can be found online. Do not hesitate to peruse the different sections and find a wealth of information.

Survival Guide

Get to know your way around the city and campus, meet interesting people, make new friends and get the real spirit of being a member of ETH. Visit the welcome center and get familiar with the first steps after arrival in Switzerland. 

Welcome Center

Immigration and housing is usually the responsibility of every new employee and should be arranged with the Canton office and agencies personally. For guidance and further information you can go to the immigration and housing office. 

Immigration and housing

Doctoral administration is the point of contact when you need assistance with the administrative side of your doctoral studies, also if you are a doctoral candidate or need assistance after you received your doctoral degree. 

Doctoral administration

Would you like to like to learn a language or improve on your soft skills through courses and workshops? Visit the following links and please inform us further if you know more helpful organisations.

DidacticaHR coursesBusiness tools

Similar to the ESN buddy system, AVETH is connecting peers, if you just started your doctoral studies or would like to expand your network, we provide you with some friendly students to talk and have a coffee with. The network of people provides a social environment to eliminate isolation from your life. As a doctoral student or Postdoc, knowing your way through ETH already, you can help people and become a buddy. Get some briefing about recourses in and around our university and make a new friend. Write to buddy for an inquiry.

Buddy

Didn’t find what you were looking for?
Contact us and we will assist you in finding the answers to all your questions.

Helpcounselling@aveth.ch