2021

How to safely manage human waste in humanitarian settings? The most recent project  selected for the ETH4D Research Challenges tackles exactly this question by optimising and implementing an anaerobic biodigester developed by Sistema.bio that transforms human waste to energy to ultimately bring a completely modular human waste treatment system to market for use in humanitarian settings.

Dr. Dario Sanchez visited the Chair of Seismic Design and Analysis at ETH Zurich to exchange knowledge on topics related to low cost seismic design, and more particularly to low cost seismic isolation systems.

Through the ETH4D Mentorship Programme, 4 doctoral candidates across the globe collaborate with professors from ETH Zurich on their doctoral projects ranging from prediction of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese people to decision-making processes of community-managed boreholes in Ghana. Part of the mentorship is a 3-month research stay at ETH Zurich. The mentees talk about their motivation behind the mentorship and plans for their research stays.

On 1^st December 2021, ETH for Development (ETH4D) held its General Assembly which gathered members and the leadership of various ETH units including ETH Sustainability and Nadel - Center for Development and Cooperation, amongst others, which are part of the ETH-wide initiative on global sustainable development. The achieved milestones of 2021 and the growing activities and plans for the following years were shared by the team of the Executive Office.

This year, for the first time, the ETH4D Research Challenges Seminar took place, where ETH researchers working with partners in low-income countries and practitioners from NGOs and industry presented a variety of innovative projects that address pressing global challenges.