Nina Bonassi: “My work at Atlas of Switzerland covers many different aspects, which makes it very exciting.”
- Alumni Portraits
- Geomatics Alumni
ETH alumna Nina Bonassi obtained her Bachelor's and Master’s in Geomatic Engineering at ETH. She currently works at the ETH Institute of Cartography and Geoinformation. She is a scientific editor for Atlas of Switzerland, a Swiss Federal Council initiative launched in 1961. She talks to us about her career and what motivates her.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be?
When I was young, I had an Odyssey comic which was the start of my fascination with the Greeks. My interest then widened to include the mathematicians and philosophers of this age. I was only seven so obviously I didn’t understand it all but this is where my desire to work in archaeology comes from. I am interested in all cultures, stones and fossils.
Mathematics can be put to good use at ETH. You have a Bachelor’s and Master's in Geomatic Engineering. What led you to ETH?
My journey to ETH wasn’t a direct one; after completing my school-leaving exams, I was still interested in everything. I didn't excel in any one area which would have helped me narrow down my options. To concentrate, I need challenges. So I started on a physics course in Berne. But after a year I found that studying just mathematics and physics was too limited for me. So I looked round and one day before the closing date for registration I came across the geomatic engineering course at ETH. There were other courses at ETH that looked interesting too. But I went for geomatic engineering because the course didn't include chemistry (she laughs). Of all the things I was interested in, chemistry was not one of them.
"The course gave me a broad spectrum of expertise, which I can now make good use of."Nina Bonassi
Did you ever regret changing from physics to geomatic engineering?
No, never. During the geomatic engineering course, I was especially interested in geophysics and satellite geodesy. But then I noticed that some of the course was getting too complex for me. This made me realise that I am not sure how well I would have done if I had continued with the pure physics course. Geomatic engineering provides a much broader scope; you need other skills for subjects like spatial planning, and that suited me well. You do not find that breadth in physics.
You are currently a scientific editor for Atlas of Switzerland at ETH. How did your degree help you get onto the career ladder?
Since I self-funded my university course, I worked part time three days a week. I had to postpone my first-year exams because I was ill. Because I did not want to lose any time, I squeezed two semesters into one, which was really intense. Once I had written my master’s dissertation, I was shattered. I had worked as a junior research assistant at the Institute of Cartography and Geoinformation and I did not give this position up straight away so I could get myself sorted again.
When I contacted the relevant professor for a reference, he pointed out a vacant position at the institute. I applied as normal and managed to win through against 40 other applicants to get the job. It was definitely an advantage that they were already familiar with my background and work results. The course gave me a broad spectrum of expertise, which I can now make good use of.
"I can also expand on the various interests that I have always had."Nina Bonassi
What does your work at Atlas of Switzerland involve?
The external page Atlas of Switzerland project was set up in 1961 as a national atlas by the Swiss Federal Council. At that time, there was a printed atlas of Switzerland focusing on various subjects, such as geology, nature and the environment or statistical information about the population. Data is sourced from various federal offices and turned into maps.
In 2000, the maps were digitalised and made available as a CD-ROM. The online version we see today was launched in 2016. That was just before I joined. The new thing about this version is that it is based on a globe. So the maps are projected onto this world atlas. We work on topics relating not just to Switzerland, but also Europe or the whole world.
So my work is very varied: I prepare data, sometimes I have research to do and I present the data too. 3D diagrams or models are very important here. I have just completed a model showing global light emissions since 1992, based on satellite data. A while ago, I reprocessed data relating to Switzerland during the French Revolutionary wars and now we have a map showing the invasion by Napoleon’s troops and the battle fields. We have also produced a 3D model to show the spread of coronavirus.
To achieve this, as I have already mentioned, we collaborated with virtually all the Swiss federal offices. We worked through the data again especially for this. Some statistics are part of our remit and we have to produce them. But we do have some freedom too and can play around with various pieces of data.
This is the exciting part of my job: we all have our own view of the world and think we can see connections. But if you can ignore that and just look at the data, sometimes a very different picture emerges. I have often been surprised. My work at Atlas of Switzerland covers many different aspects, which makes it very exciting. I can also expand on the various interests that I have always had.
Do you have any tips for our students?
Find something that you are really interested in and see it through. Continually chopping and changing is not a good approach. If it is not working for you, do not persevere. I am convinced that we can achieve a lot more than we think we can. But the most important thing is to be motivated and have a goal; even if your only goal is to graduate.
My job also includes a teaching element. I find that today’s students are more focused but also that more is demanded of them than was the case ten years ago. This did not seem to be such an issue when I was studying or at least I did not see it becoming more of a problem while I was on the course. I get the impression that things have changed since back then.