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DIZH: dialogue & disruption

Making visible the findings and results of interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange between science and practice: that was the aim of the event held on September 20, 2022.

Within the framework of DIZH, a sustainable culture of cooperation between disciplines and universities is to be established. Zurich’s universities are already benefiting from this and, in the long term, hopefully so will Zurich as a business location. DIZH started operations in April 2020. After the experiences of the first two and a half years, promising approaches and common challenges from the three areas of DIZH – research, innovation and education – can be presented.

Dr. Melanie Knieps, Prof. Dr. Dirk Baier, Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Witt and Renato Soldenhoff in conversation with Prof. Dr. Barbara Getto (from left to right)

Dr. Susanne Schumacher, Chair of the DIZH Management Board, welcomed around 80 guests to the Toni-Areal. The perspectives of the universities on DIZH were explained by the rectors of UZH and ZHdK, Prof. Dr. Michael Schaepman and Prof. Dr. Thomas Meier. Government Councilor and Director of Education Dr. Silvia Steiner spoke about the potential of cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional cooperation between Zurich’s universities and the opportunity to develop practical solutions. What this looks like in concrete terms is shown by the video portraits of Virtual Reality as a learning venue in basic vocational education and Making in the classroom.

Government Councillor Dr. Silvia Steiner

On the podium, Prof. Dr. Barbara Getto (PHZH) spoke with Renato Soldenhoff (ZHdK) and Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Witt (UZH) about skills for the digital age. Of these, the Digital Skills & Spaces and Studium Digitale programs are long-term measures of educational support at two DIZH universities; while the project Information and Reporting Platform for Refugees from Ukraine by Prof. Dr. Dirk Baier and the structure CYREN ZH by Dr. Melanie Knieps deal in different ways with the issue of societal challenges in the context of digitalization.

Many thanks to all contributors and guests!

Photos: Johannes Dietschi