ETH ombudsperson resigns

ETH ombudsperson Hugo Bretscher is resigning for personal reasons. ETH Zurich regrets this decision, and has asked the University Assembly to propose another candidate to replace him.

ETH Zurich’s Executive Board had already selected two prominent individuals, ETH Professor Gerhard Tröster and the former ETH Secretary General Hugo Bretscher as new ombudspersons , taking up office on 1 April 2018. The Executive Board has decided to increase the number of ombudspersons from two to three in order to stress the importance it places on this independent point of contact.

Hugo Bretscher has now decided to step down due to personal reasons. ‘The Executive Board regrets this decision,’ says ETH President Lino Guzzella. Cases already open with the Ombudspersons’ Office will continue to be handled by the newly elected ombudsperson Gerhard Tröster and his colleague Maryvonne Landolt, who has been in office for longer but is due to relinquish this role at the end of July 2018 on age grounds.

ETH Zurich’s Executive Board is asking the University Assembly to propose suitable candidates for both vacancies. The Assembly represents the interests of all the university groupings at ETH Zurich, from the administrative and technical staff through to students, scientific staff and professors. In future the University Assembly will be formally tasked to propose potential candidates for the Executive Board to select as ombudspersons.