News

On 15 May 2024, ETH NADEL’s Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Challenge, in which our MAS students have tackled real-life sustainable development challenges, will be featured at the ETH Teaching and Learning Fair.

The results of the third representative survey of the ETH Swiss Panel Global Cooperation 2023 are in. More than 4,000 Swiss residents shared their views on global poverty, and on Switzerland’s funding and allocation of development cooperation.

We are pleased to announce that Max Morel has joined NADEL as a Senior Lecturer, focusing on humanitarian aid and media for global sustainable development.

Join us on 7 March 2024 for a documentary film screening and panel discussion about Switzerland and Bangladesh.

Researchers from the ETH Development Economics Group examined the legalisation of illicit financial flows (IFFs) in the gold trade.

From 6-8 June 2024, ETH NADEL is offering a course for practitioners with no formal training in international cooperation or development studies.

The Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) ETH in Global Cooperation and Sustainable Development combines studies at ETH Zurich with on-the-job training around the world.

Prof. em. Dr. Martin Menzi, director of NADEL from 1981-1991, passed away on 6 January 2024 at the age of 94 years.

Congratulations to Isabel Günther, who is the new president of The Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE).

In the latest episode of the NADEL podcast 1.90 pro Tag, we meet Melchior Lengsfeld, Executive Director of Helvetas, to discuss current challenges and future priorities of international development organisations.

Congratulations to Dario Meili on the successful defense of his dissertation! His outstanding research sheds light on group-based inequalities in education and the Swiss labour market.

Find out what our students like best about ETH NADEL and what drives them to embark on careers in global cooperation and sustainable development.

Pedestrian life has rarely been studied in informal areas. An ETH study measures pedestrian activity in Cape Town, comparing it with theory-based predictions.

Explore progress that has been made in climate change mitigation and adaptation globally, and hear what you can do to advance climate action.

We are proud to announce that the NADEL team has been awarded 2nd place in the ETH Diversity Award 2023.

Congratulations to Kathrin Durizzo for being awarded an ETH medal in recognition of her outstanding research on Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa!

Congrats to Bartlomiej Kudrzycki for his doctoral defence on youth labour market dynamics in informal economies.

The ETH Development Economics Group (DEC) recently welcomed Arnaud Schuele as a PhD student.

The effects on public health of large-scale resource extraction in Africa are often ignored. An ETH study provides a framework to understand the priorities of different stakeholders, offering insights for initiating policy dialogue and reforms.

NADEL's MAS programme combines studies at ETH Zurich with eight months on-the-job training at an international organization. Learn more at one of our info sessions: 6 Nov (on-site at ETH) and 14 Nov (online).

From 8 September to 15 October, the city or Zurich will transform into an open-air exhibition on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. ETH Zurich complements the exhibition with research results on the SDGs.

On the weekend of September 2 – 3, visitors can experience science up close at interactive exhibition stands, shows and workshops and exchange ideas with researchers. Find out from the NADEL team what share of global income you earn and what chocolate can tell us about global inequality.

What does maths have to do with gender inequality? Watch the recording of the NADEL event with Dr. Eugenia Cheng and find out.

In the latest episode of our podcast 1.90 pro Tag, the focus is on education. Our guest Nicole Stejskal gives us an insight into her work as Co-Executive Director of CO-OPERAID, an NGO which promotes education for children in Asia and Africa.  

A novel study analyses the viability of urban mining in Switzerland using a representative survey of 2,500 Swiss respondents and an experiment with 15,000 employees of ETH Zurich.

Register now for this online panel on domestic energy transitions in resource-​rich countries, organised by the Natural Resource Governance Institute NRGI and NADEL.

The "Future Trends and Competencies for the Swiss International Cooperation Sector" report was recently published by cinfo and NADEL. In this interview, NADEL’s Jasmine Neve and Kimon Schneider put the findings in context and offer personal advice for working in the International Cooperation (IC) sector.

ETH DECs Kenneth Harttgen and Johannes Seiler from the University of Innsbruck contributed a chapter on Food Insecurity and Poverty to the recently published Research Handbook on Measuring Poverty and Deprivation.

NADEL, together with ETH for Development ETH4D, now offers regular office hours for students seeking advice on careers in the development sector.

If you're interested in how institutions can become more inclusive for women and other under-represented groups, then this NADEL event with Dr. Eugenia Cheng is for you.

This year's KFPE conference is all about decolonising research partnerships. NADEL's Medinat Malefakis, Jasmine Neve and Shruti Patel contribute to the conference and the accompanying workshop programme.

Development banks could be drivers of sustainable development, but their business model is in urgent need of reform. On 2 May 2023, experts from the public and the private sector and from ETH will discuss what is needed to unlock the full potential of development banks.

What are the trends and challenges in the IC sector and what skills are needed to address them? A recent report by cinfo and NADEL provides guidance.

A novel study with the collaboration of NADEL's Kenneth Harttgen highlights the importance of addressing the social and economic factors contributing to child mortality, and the need to look beyond simple national averages to better understand the development of child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

Congrats to Kathrin Durizzo for her doctoral defence and her outstanding research on Universal Health Coverage in sub-Saharan Africa.

The results of the second survey of the ETH Swiss Panel Global Cooperation 2022 are out. Over 3,000 Swiss residents shared their views on Swiss policies regarding global poverty, migration, and climate change.

GAIN supports African students in applying for high level universities. We spoke to Frank Otieno Odhiambo, co-founder of the network and PhD student in Development Economics at the ETH Development Economics Group and NADEL, about the hurdles African students face, the idea behind the programme, and its achievements to date.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has partnered with NADEL to develop the Project Cycle Management interactive platform (PCMi) aimed at professionals in the field of international cooperation.

Chris Humphrey's new book, which he will launch at the LSE on February 8, provides insights into the work of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) around the world. 

On February 2 SDC and NADEL will host a closing webinar to present the results of the final round of Impact Award winners and share experiences with impact evaluations.

In the latest episode of the NADEL podcast “1.90 pro Tag”, André Huber from SDC talks about dealing with the past, the shadow of the Islamic State (IS) and blue peace in the catchment area of the Euphrat and the Tigris.

Dr Medinat Malefakis, Senior Lecturer at NADEL since 2022, on the role of Western countries in development cooperation, her research, and her work at NADEL.

Studying at ETH Zurich and gaining professional experience abroad: Learn more about the MAS ETH in Development and Cooperation programme at one of our info sessions (21 Nov, 17:30 on-site, 29 Nov, 17:30 online).

Join us on 15 November 2022 to discuss perspectives from the Global South on climate change and global development, with specific insights from the Maldives and the Lake Chad region.

In September, we welcomed Ghislaine Tegha Megha-Bongnkar as a new member of the Development Economics Group (DEC).

In our latest policy brief, NADEL’s Fritz Brugger together with Joane Holliger and Simon Mason from CSS take stock of the debate on the Triple Nexus in Fragile Contests and outline next steps to make it happen.

In the ETH DEC Urban Mining experiment, almost 1000 old mobile phones were collected for recycling. Mobile phones are one of the most frequently replaced, but rarely recycled, personal electronic devices.

We are happy to announce that Laura Metzger will start as an Assistant Professor in International Economics at Radboud University Nijmegen.

In the latest episode of our podcast, MAS student Wolfgang Schneider talks about his entry into development cooperation.

How powerful can scientific data be to unlock a trap of low accountability in the mining sector? An ETH study shows potential and limits of citizen science to promote social accountability for environmental pollution.

How do people in a low-income country use health care services if they are enrolled in a mandatory health insurance? An analysis of 26 million claims submitted to a Tanzanian mandatory health insurance provides first insights.

At the end of 2021, NADEL conducted the first Swiss Panel Global Cooperation survey with 2,800 people to study the opinion of the population towards global inequality and development cooperation.

A study from the University of Ghana and ETH-NADEL finds that economic well-being had mostly recovered in 2021 – one year into the pandemic – for the urban poor in Ghana and South Africa, whereas life satisfaction and feelings of depression were back at lockdown levels.

Congrats to Antoinette van der Merwe for her doctoral defence and her outstanding research on various ways to alleviate problems in the gold supply chain, specifically gold mined by artisanal miners.

In the latest episode of our podcast “1.90 pro Tag”, NADEL alumna Stefanie Kägi explains how eating rice could endanger the climate.

Yael Borofsky explored how nighttime lighting in informal settlements affects the residents' quality of life. On the ETH Ambassadors blog, she shares her impressions, experiences and the challenges of the project with us.

Research from ETH-NADEL and CNRST Burkina Faso shows that the use of mercury persists because investors prefinancing extraction impose it as a social commitment and controlling device.

During their on-the-job training, NADEL MAS students confronted challenges at the intersection of development cooperation, humanitarian aid and peacebuilding.

Join our conversation with author and historian Rutger Bregman to explore why the narrative about human nature is up for a revision and what this implies for global cooperation.

Mark your calendars! The second edition of the "Together for the Sustainable Development Goals" exhibition and event programme will take place from 7 to 18 March 2022.

In an eight-week hackathon, students from ETH Zurich explored how data science can be used to solve real-world problems of six NGOs. One group showed that machine learning models can improve demand forecasts for medical equipment.

Little more than visual effects and sparkling technology? In a policy brief, NADEL's Kimon Schneider questions the trend of alternative approaches to Project Cycle Management.

Congrats to Yael Borofsky for her doctoral defence and her amazing research on the impact of public lighting on quality of life at night in informal cities.

Become a changemaker for global sustainable development and apply by 15 April 2022 for the MAS ETH in Development and Cooperation, starting in September 2022.

How much a charity spends on administration influences peoples’ donation decisions. In the ETH Zukunftsblog, Shruti Patel argues that this is a poor indicator of how ‘good’ an NGO is, and proposes three questions for donors to ask charities instead.

Child labour, dangerous working conditions and environmental pollution are just some of the problems in the gold market. Various gold certification schemes aim to combat these issues. Antoinette van der Merwe, who is writing her dissertation on this topic, provides us with insights and recommendations.

In the latest episode of our podcast “1.90 pro Tag”, Felix Gnehm, director of Solidar Suisse, discusses decent work and social justice.

Join our conversation with Rutger Bregman on 1 December 2021 to explore why the narrative about the nature of human beings is up for a revision and what this implies for global cooperation.

Dr. Rubain Bankole wrote his dissertation on the dual vocational education system in Benin. He explains to us why the implementation of the system is a success and what further adjustments are still needed in the future.  

Studying at ETH Zurich and gaining professional experience abroad: Learn more about the MAS ETH in Development and Cooperation programme at one of our info sessions (17 Nov, 18:00 online, 23 Nov, 17:00 on-site).

What is crucial to ensure transparency, responsibility and sustainability in resource extraction and trade in the age of the energy transition? Join the online expert panel discussion on 19 November at 15:00 CET, organised by NADEL and NRGI.

The 26^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations climate change convention begins this week in Glasgow. What is at stake for international development cooperation, and what can we hope to achieve?

Why both risks and rewards should be shared in public-private partnerships – join the free NADEL anniversary online event with renowned economist Mariana Mazzucato on 22 October 2021.

How does inequality arise, what do we Swiss have to do with it, and what can we do to fight poverty and inequality? These and other questions will be the subject of «Treffpunkt Science City» in autumn 2021.

In an opinion piece in the ETH Zukunftsblog, Dario Meili argues that the outcry about the Covid certificate is not only misguided, but also blurs the concept of discrimination and, by doing so, undermines the rationale for addressing prevailing injustices.  

How has the understanding of development cooperation changed over the last 50 years? Where is NADEL coming from and where does it want to go? Find out more in the interview with NADEL co-directors Prof. Isabel Günther and Dr. Fritz Brugger.

Although most Ghanaian pupils went back to school after the lockdown, the learning loss is enormous. A NADEL policy brief analyses the education situation in low-income settlements and provides recommendations on how to address corona-related learning deficits.

A research brief by Dario Meili and co-authors identifies the key criteria of what constitutes “acceptable quality” in shared toilets in urban low-income contexts. It provides recommendations to improve the functionality and sustainability of shared sanitation facilities.

Business as usual is not enough to implement the Agenda 2030, says Martin Fässler, former Chief of Staff at SDC and president of Trigon Film in the latest episode of the NADEL podcast “1.90 pro Tag”. Listen in now!

We recently welcomed Frank Otieno Odhiambo to the group of doctoral students at the ETH Development Economics Group. Frank is doing his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Isabel Günther on inclusive education in Kenya.

The German Economic Association's Research Group on Development Economics has honoured Selina Bezzola for her outstanding dissertation on the impact of corporate social responsibility activities of mining companies in Africa.

Application is now open for the Advanced Course on Natural Resource Governance and Development, offered by the Natural Resource Governance Institute NRGI and ETH-NADEL.

Integrating evidence into day-to-day operations remains a challenge for many development organisations. In a policy brief, NADEL's Kimon Schneider identifies a set of institutional measures that facilitate evidence use in decision-making.

The introductory work "Einführung in die Entwicklungsökonomik" by Isabel Günther and Kenneth Harttgen from NADEL and Katharina Michaelowa from the University of Zurich is out now!

ETH-NADEL is excited to launch the Resource Impact Dashboard (RID), a policy instrument that enables evidence-​based deliberation about local resource governance.

In a paper for the Overseas Development Institute, NADEL’s Chris Humphrey assesses the option of creating a new, non-voting share class for institutional investors to help boost the lending capacity of multilateral development banks (MDBs).

In the latest episode of the NADEL podcast “1.90 pro Tag”, Raphael Schilling, expert in sustainable food procurement, discusses the complexity of global value chains and ecological and social challenges linked to agricultural production.

In a policy brief, NADEL’s Kimon Schneider outlines an approach to help decision-makers assess evidence quality within the real-world restrictions of time, budget and feasibility.

In collaboration with the Swiss Data Science Center, Kenneth Harttgen from NADEL/DEC will start a new research project on using satellite images to study urban poverty and inequality in sub-Saharan Africa.

Many cocoa farmers live in poverty – yet the fairly traded chocolate bunny often stays on the shelves. In the ETH Zukunftsblog, Isabel Günther explains why we should be more mindful when buying the iconic chocolate bunny.

In a joint interview for the magazine "Eine Welt", Isabel Günther from NADEL and development sociologist Prof. Elísio Macamo from the University of Basel discuss the meaning of development and Swiss development policy.

On Friday February 26th 2PM CET ETH-​NADEL holds a public panel in collaboration with the Natural Resource Governance Institute NRGI on the future of sustainable natural resource governance.

Researchers from the University of Ghana Business School and the Development Economics Group at ETH Zürich conducted phone surveys in low-income areas in Accra, Ghana, to find out how well COVID-19 prevention measures are followed.

Manuela Ernst, head of the Social Integration and Migration Department at the Swiss Red Cross, discusses migration, trauma and working in crisis areas in the latest episode of the NADEL podcast.

In a policy brief, NADEL MAS ’20 alumnus Silvan Hungerbühler outlines how the illicit drug economy and policy towards it are important yet often underestimated factors shaping development outcomes.

In Economics and Human Biology, Kenneth Harttgen and Johannes Seiler present findings from an analysis of child undernutrition using household data from 38 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

In the latest episode of the NADEL podcast "1.90 pro Tag", Fritz Brugger and Thomas Benninger from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) address the question why resource-rich countries often make little progress in addressing poverty and inequality.

In front of the shopping shelves, Swiss seem to forget their good intentions. Yet they could help to improve working conditions for cocoa farmers, if only they would shop more consciously.

With the Engineering Humanitarian Action initiative, launched on 10 December 2020, ETH Zurich and EPFL have formed a collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to develop innovative solutions for a greater impact of humanitarian action.

The story of a new kind of farm, a new kind of food and a new kind of society. Wednesday, November 21, 17:15, ETH Zurich, LEE building, E 101, Leonhardstrasse 2. Together with the World Food System Center.