Chapter Baden: Networking in the foreground

How did you get involved with the Baden Chapter?

Sarah: Some of the people I studied with at ETH were my friends from high school. Years ago, I went to one of the chapter’s events and was one of the younger people there. But that was only my first impression. Then I went to another event to see people that I already knew and really enjoyed it. In 2018 Thomas asked me whether I would like to join the board and I said yes. I like the fact that our events now attract various generations and people who graduated from various disciplines. We’ve achieved a really good mix of people and ages.

Thomas: I was asked whether I would like to join the board of the Baden Chapter in 2015. Two of my friends from my secondary school days were there too and there was a concerted effort underway to rejuvenate the board. We asked ourselves what we could do to help the chapter grow and retain its appeal in the future. We wanted to establish ourselves as a network organisation and improve the sense of community as ETH alumni and alumnae. I don't think we had that sense of belonging when we were at university. You spent most of the time in your own department. We didn't seem to notice or represent an “ETH brand”. Together we hoped to drive forward generational change and more generally increase diversity in the chapter. We have all studied different disciplines and we now have two women on the board.

Have you managed to reduce the average age not just of the board but the chapter as a whole?

Thomas: Yes, we have. Our new members, and we attract roughly 20 to 30 of them a year, generally have a couple of years of professional life under their belts. Previously, our events tended to be held in the afternoons but now we often have things happening in the events and try to make them as varied as possible so that retired people feel that they are relevant to them too.

What factors do you see as being key to the success of a chapter or member organisation?

Sarah: It’s hard to draw comparisons with other chapters. It’s certainly important for the events to attract as many members as possible and for the topics they cover to be varied too. You have to have exciting speakers. The ETH network is very important in this respect and in its capacity as the host organisation. It’s also important to share the workload. Baden Chapter is all about teamwork.

Thomas: For me, the organisation has to be sustainable. We always have a lot of people at our events. And this is great to see. Eight percent of our members joined in the last four years. The annual event for recent graduates is a key factor here. We invite young alumni and alumnae from the greater Aargau region to this event. And it's an event format that I would certainly recommend for attracting new members. Our next such event will be held during the Badenfahrt festival on 24 August 2023.

2022 saw changes in your board: Andreas Christen stepped down and Pascal Schwendimann joined. How do you attract new board members?

Thomas: Last autumn Pascal Schwendimann came to the recent graduates event and he had a good time. Before this, at the annual members’ meeting in November we had put out a call for new board members and asked anyone interested to get in touch. And so now we have a young mathematician on the board. Pascal wants to work on making it easier for us to reach out to young alumni and alumnae. This change within the board was a very conscious decision. In four years’ time, I very much want to hand over the presidency to someone new. It’s important that we regularly bring in fresh blood.

What is your chapter most concerned with?

Sarah: We wanted to ensure that the Baden Chapter still appeals to members. And I think making sure that we have young members is key to that. For me, the board meetings are like getting together with friends, we understand one another well and so it’s really good fun. I hope that our work within the board remains relaxed and focused on the future.

Thomas: I would like to see us in the Baden Chapter making better use of “the network”. It would be good if our members spoke to one another more often when seeking career advice. The umbrella organisation can also help us to make better use of our networks and promote the sharing of experiences between younger and older professionals.

What information from other chapters would be most useful to you?

Sarah: Sharing experiences of events and how to attract new members would certainly be good. I feel that many member organisations might be facing the same issues.

Thomas: I would be interested to learn more about the concepts and purposes of other chapters. How do they approach networking? I believe that it is important for us to continue evolving and treading new paths. You have to make incremental change. And we have done just that. I hope that the umbrella organisation can help with this too.