Two months ago, I was invited to the Institute of Technology in Tokyo to give a lecture on the factors that make a university a leading university. As a member of the ETH I am fully aware that the ETH has the self-image of a leader. Whether this claim is a true one or not – all of us have an opinion on the subject, in the end, however, it is not our view that counts but the one of the students, graduates, employers and those who finance our teaching and research.

During my search for relevant success factors, to which also conversations with leading people at ETH contributed, a few palpable facts began to emerge. The success of a university rests primarily on the quality of the people who are active in teaching and research, namely professors, graduates and students on all levels. Up until now, the ETH has been very successful in attracting the best people from a global "market". This fact is supported by personnel statistics: 57% of the professors and 50% of doctoral students come from abroad. A different picture emerges if we consider students studying towards a first degree: There are only 11% non-Swiss. Thus one consequence of the introduction of Bachelor’s and Masters’ degrees becomes clear. The ETH has the possibility to recruit its Masters’ students on the global market. Naturally, some problems remain and must be resolved. They range from the teaching language to the funding of the courses to the employment stipulations that foreigners encounter in Switzerland.

A second important factor is the quality of the infrastructure. How excellent the facilities at the ETH are becomes apparent when one visits other universities. The supply of computer facilities and services are first-class, also, there are a lot of high-quality space and good rooms available. Nobody will deny this, however, the quantity of space is limited. We are trying to make better use of the available space with programmes like the ETH World by creating mobile workplaces equipped with the necessary infrastructure (Neptun, Wireless LAN etc.).

The third important factor is a stable long-term funding. This is a crucial prerequisite to recruit the best people and be able to afford a first-class infrastructure at the same time. The ETH is strongly dependent on a single source of finance – the Federal Government. In contrast, US universities, with which we compete, have quite a different situation: They had to diversify at an early stage and therefore their funding depends only by around 50% on the state. Also, US universities can rely on generous donations, especially from their alumni, an attitude which, at least until now, has not been common here. We are yet to face a similar diversification process.

Bernhard Plattner, ETH Professor at the Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory and Head of the programme of ETH World.

In this regard, a further aspect must be taken into account. The dean of an engineering school at a leading US university said at the conference in Tokyo that it wasn't enough to be good. The fact that one was good had to be communicated to the world outside and as a consequence this called for professional organisation – be it to attract donations or simply communicate the desired image nationally and internationally. In this matter, the ETH is at the very beginning.

At last, a few personal words. This is my last contribution as a column writer. Elaborating the ideas that were published in this column was an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Even though it made my head ache at times too, especially when the deadline crept nearer and the screen was still blank, I was lucky to count on reliable dialog partners and test readers. I would like to thank Barbara Meili and Anders Hagström, both from the ETH-World team, for their critical and stimulating comments. A special thanks goes to Barbara Meili for her competent linguistic editing of my drafts.