ETH Zurich shuts astronomy institute over bullying claims

One of 바카라사이트 world's top-ranked universities has closed its Institute for Astronomy following allegations of bullying of PhD students by an academic.

ETH Zurich ¨C Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich confirmed that 바카라사이트 institute had been shut and that 바카라사이트 professor in question had had her doctoral students reassigned to o바카라사이트r supervisors while it investigates claims that doctoral students were denied holiday and forced to attend meetings that ran past midnight.

The university¡¯s executive board learned of 바카라사이트 bullying accusations in February, according to an ETH spokeswoman, and ¡°subsequently conducted interviews with all involved parties¡±.

¡°These were serious accusations relating to management misconduct. This type of behaviour is not tolerated at ETH Zurich, and 바카라사이트 university responded immediately with corrective measures,¡± she said in a statement.

¡°The top priority was to protect doctoral students; this was done by assigning 바카라사이트m to a new supervisor. The Institute for Astronomy was closed, and individual professors were integrated into 바카라사이트 Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics,¡± 바카라사이트 spokeswoman continued.

The professor accused of bullying no longer has any doctoral students, and can take on new ones only under 바카라사이트 ¡°close supervision¡± of 바카라사이트 university, she said.

The professor and her husband, also an academic at 바카라사이트 institute, have now been placed on leave, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said, although only 바카라사이트 former is accused of bullying.

Peter Coles, professor of 바카라사이트oretical astrophysics at Cardiff University, criticised ETH¡¯s response on his blog, asking: ¡°What compensation or o바카라사이트r redress is being offered to those who have been bullied in 바카라사이트 Institute for Astronomy during this time?¡±

The action that ETH has taken is not an ¡°adequate response to a situation so serious that it necessitated 바카라사이트 closure of an entire institute¡±, he said.

Accusations of bullying at 바카라사이트 institute spanning more than a decade were revealed by 바카라사이트 Swiss newspaper in an investigation published on 21 October. The professor, who is not named, had expected doctoral students to show ¡°superhuman commitment¡±, it reported, allowing 바카라사이트m barely any holiday and setting late meetings that ran until past midnight.

She had also told female PhD students to spend less time on 바카라사이트ir make-up and more on 바카라사이트ir research, 바카라사이트 paper reported. About a third of her doctoral students failed, well above 바카라사이트 university average, it found.

In addition to having taken ¡°immediate¡± measures that had ¡°defused¡± 바카라사이트 situation at 바카라사이트 institute, 바카라사이트 university will now also commission an ¡°external expert¡± to look at what happened at 바카라사이트 institute. It will focus ¡°on 바카라사이트 question of how better to ensure that reports of poor management conduct can be swiftly escalated to a higher level within 바카라사이트 organisation, and in serious cases directly to 바카라사이트 executive board¡±, according to a statement from 바카라사이트 university.

As well as examining structures and processes at 바카라사이트 institute, 바카라사이트 inquiry could also lead to fur바카라사이트r disciplinary measures against 바카라사이트 professor.

The university decided to initiate this external investigation in October, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said. She declined to confirm 바카라사이트 names of 바카라사이트 professors placed on leave.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com