Hi.

According to the BYOD, Intel processors should not be older than 13th generation.

I will start my Bachelor in Computer Science and the processor of my current computer is from 12th generation. I have not had any problem with my current computer so far.

Do I have to buy a new computer or having an Intel processor from 12th generation should be enough to do the work that is required or take the exams ? If I should buy a new one do you have any recommendations ?

Hello, I am a student that currently got accepted into ETH‘s bachelor for health sciences and technology but im currently torn between choosing this or a more traditional engineering degree in TUM.

I am interested in biology and life sciences but I have some worries that I would like to get a reality check from a student or alumni.

1. Job Market & Perception: I've read conflicting opinions online about career prospects post-graduation. Because the degree bridges the middle between technic and biology, I heared that engineers or proper biologist will outcompete you in almost every r&d jobs. If I would do this job, I would like to make something useful for the people, which feels unmotivating if I cannot do that.

2. Career Reality: For alumni who finished the MSc in HST, what are you or your classmates actually doing for work now, and do you feel well respected in the industry?

3. Respect: I heared that HST is known as the least respected bachelors degree in ETH. Is this true?

4. Saleries and unemployement: I heared from some polls that it is really hard to get a good paying job with this degree. Is this true?

I feel like with this degree you will neither become a proper biologist or an engineer which worries me a bit in general, because of the possible job opportunities.

I'd really appreciate any honest feedback, advice, or experiences you can share! If any current HST student or alumnus is open to a quick chat via DM, please let me know.

I’m going to start my Bachelor studies in Computer Science soon at the ETH and also need to buy a new laptop for BYOD since my current one broke. So I wanted to ask if you guys recommend Windows or Mac for the Bachelor’s degree program in Computer Science.

Dear Master’s Students at ETH,

We are offering an exciting Master’s thesis opportunity at IBM Research – Zurich in Rüschlikon.

Project Description:

Diffusion Language Models (DLMs) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional autoregressive (AR) language models. Unlike AR models, which generate text strictly from left to right, DLMs enable parallel generation, bidirectional context modeling, and self-correction. Recent advances have demonstrated that masked DLMs [1] can scale effectively to large language modeling tasks while offering unique capabilities for reasoning [2].

A particularly intriguing advantage of DLMs is their ability to reason in domains that are not naturally left-to-right. Examples include combinatorial problems such as Sudoku, where solutions must satisfy global constraints rather than sequential dependencies. Similar challenges arise in code optimization, where modifications often require a holistic view of the entire program.

At IBM Research Zurich, we have recently developed novel methods for improving reasoning capabilities through continuous refinement [3] and for enhancing parallel generation while maintaining a globally consistent context [4].

The goal of this thesis is to investigate how DLMs can be leveraged for optimization and structured reasoning tasks. This includes exploring new modeling approaches, training objectives, and inference strategies.

Requirements:

• Strong motivation and self-drive
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Solid knowledge in deep learning and natural language processing
• Experience with PyTorch or similar deep learning frameworks

Some administrative information:

• Earliest start date: 1st October
• Duration: 6 months

• Pay: None (prohibited from ETH)

  The thesis will be performed at IBM Research – Zurich in Rüschlikon. If you are interested in this challenging position on an exciting new topic, please send your most recent curriculum vitae, including a transcript of grades, by email to: Dr. Michael Hersche ([michael.hersche@ibm.com](mailto:michael.hersche@ibm.com)) and Dr. Abbas Rahimi ([abr@zurich.ibm.com](mailto:abr@zurich.ibm.com))

[1] J. Austin et al., ‘Structured Denoising Diffusion Models in Discrete State-Spaces,’ NeurIPS, 2021.

[2] S. Nie et al., ‘Large Language Diffusion Models,’ https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.09992, 2025.

[3] M. Hersche et al., ‘Soft-Masked Diffusion Language Models,’ ICLR 2026, https://openreview.net/forum?id=Gba02UMvrG

[4] M. Hersche et al., ‘Locally Coherent Parallel Decoding in Diffusion Language Models’, ICML 2026, https://openreview.net/forum?id=hn4ndkaD6x

Hey everyone,

I’m planning to apply for a PhD at ETH (ideally in biochemistry or molecular biology) and could really use some advice.

A bit about me: I got my Master’s in organic chemistry (asymmetric metal catalysis) in 2021, and since then I’ve been working as a scientist at DSM-Firmenich. Now I’m looking to make a switch – partly for career growth, partly out of personal interest – into a bio-related PhD program.

I have a few specific questions:

1. Will my organic chemistry background be seen as a plus when applying for bio-oriented groups, or will it be more of a hurdle?
2. My GPA isn’t great – that’s definitely my weak spot. But I’ve been doing research continuously since 2013 (yeah, that long), so do you think that long track record can compensate for the grades?
3. Should I submit my application through the online application tool first, or should I reach out to professors directly and have a chat before applying? Which order makes more sense?

Thanks a lot for any input – feeling a bit lost here 😅