Past Seminars
Spring 2023
Fall 2022
Energy and Power
This series of seminars on Energy and Power is a partnership with the Energy Science Center
Spring 2022
Fall 2021: Emerging risks in health and healthcare
2021 Walter Saxer insurance prize ceremony
28 September 2021, from 6.15 p.m. to 7.30 p.m., ETH HG F5
Join us for the 50th anniversary of the external pageWalter Saxer insurance prize. The prize is awarded every year to excellent master as well as PhD theses from the broader field of insurance. Participants must provide a valid COVID19 certificate.
Spring 2021
Fall 2020
Exploring the causes and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Online Seminar: How do High-Ego Personalities Drive Research in Sciences? (And other societal issues with narcissism)
with Prof. Bruno Lemaitre, Global Health Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
Tuesday, 16 June 2020, 17:15 - 18:30, including an open discussion.
Watch the recording external pagehere.
Scientists are often seen as meticulous and impartial individuals solely devoted to their study and the search for scientific truth. But a deeper analysis reveals that many of them are highly egocentric and sensitive to their privileges. Egocentrism, elitism, strategic media occupation and self-enhancement strategies are some of the first particularities that strike a newcomer to the academic world. This talk will analyze the influence of narcissism, an important human personality dimension, on science. The central idea is that narcissism is an advantageous trait for succeeding in an academic environment. Scientists with a high ego are better at convincing others of the importance of their research and, as excellent networkers, they are well placed to exploit the different facets of the research system. In some cases, high ego scientists may unconsciously distort the reality to maintain a positive illusion about themselves, resulting in questionable practices, misconduct, and overselling.
This talk will also discuss the psychological and sociobiological origins of narcissism and investigates the possible connection between narcissism on one hand, and dominance and short-term mating strategy on the other. The recent increase in narcissism in Western society and how this destabilizes not only our society but also scientific practice is also discussed. This talk will provide an alternative view of science by analyzing the narcissistic personality: prevalent among leading scientists, but rarely placed in the spotlight.
external pageProf. Bruno Lemaitre is a Drosophila geneticist working on immunity. During his research and through his interactions with colleagues he also had the opportunity to observe the behavior of scientists. This led him to start a reflection on the impact of narcissism in science. He wrote two books "external pageAn Essay on Science and Narcissism" (2016) and "external pageLes Dimensions de l’ego Séduction, dominance, manipulation: la société à l'épreuve des narcissiques" (2019).
Online Seminar: Cyber Attacks on Energy grids are Real and Now?
with Reto Amsler from ALSEC Cyber Security Consulting AG
Tuesday, 26 May 2020, 17:15 - 18:30 hrs, followed by an open discussion.
Critical infrastructures are exposed to attacks from cyber space. Which attackers must critical infrastructure owners expect and how can they protect themselves against them? Can established IT Security concepts be used? Are these sufficient in the area of Operational Technology and Industrial Control Systems? How can an operator of critical infrastructure manage their cyber risks? And in general who determines the risk appetite of a nationally critical infrastructure?
Watch the recording external pagehere
CANCELLED: Seminar Series Spring 2020
Tuesdays, 17:15 - 18:30, March - May 2020, ETH Zurich, HG D 3.2
In the upcoming Spring Series international academics, industry experts and government officials give lectures followed by an open discussion and a networking aperitif. The ETH Risk Center Seminar Series is open to everyone without registration.
This session has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
Fall 2019
Digital Transformation
Spring 2019
Sep 2018 | Darrell Duffie opened up the Fall Seminar Series
On September 18, Prof. Darrell Duffie from Stanford University gave a talk on "Augmenting Markets with Mechanisms". This was the first talk of the Fall 2018 Risk Center Seminar Series.
Full Programme of Series here
Fall 2018
The Regulation of Risk
Spring 2018
Fall 2017
Resilience and its Applications
Spring 2017
Fall 2016
Spring 2016
Fall 2015
Spring 2015
Seminar Series Fall 2014
Sept. 23
Dr Peter Burgherr, Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)
and
Jennifer Giroux, ETH Zurich
Examining the Targeting of Energy Infrastructure: Applying a Qualitative and Quantitative Approach
Sept. 30
Greg Davies
Head of Behavioral Investment Philosophy
Barclays London
Maximising Anxiety Adjusted Return: Don't Let the Best Be the Enemy of the Achievable
Oct. 7
Prof. Tom Hurd
McMaster University, Canada
Random Financial Networks and Locally Treelike Independence
Oct. 14
Prof. James Gleeson
University of Limerick, Ireland
Cascade Dynamics and Systemic Risk in Banking Networks
Oct. 21
Dr Felix Matthes
Energy & Climate Policy Öko-Institut, Berlin
Electricity Market Design: Developing a Sustainable Economic Basis for the Future Power System
Oct. 28 - Talk is cancelled!
Prof. Stijn Claessens
International Monetary Fund
Risk Scenarios in the World Post Global Financial Crisis
Nov. 4
Boris Köpf
IMDEA Software Institute, Madrid
Managing the Trade-off Between Security and Performance in Software Systems
Nov. 11
Pierre Lauquin
Long-Term Risk Manager
Nestlé, Vevey
Nestlé: Structured Approach to Face Risk and Crisis
Nov. 18
Prof. Michael Ward
Duke University, Durham, NC
Predicting the Risk of Irregular Regime Changes: Which Leaders Will Are Likely To Be Thrown Out?
Nov. 25
Prof. Hardin Tibbs
CEO
Synthesis Strategic Consulting, Cambridge, UK
Cyberpower Strategy and Socio-Political Risk
Dec. 2
Dr Valeria Bignozzi
University of Firenze, Italy
How Superadditive Can a Risk Measure Be?
Seminar Series Spring 2014
February 25
Prof. Qiang Xie
Tongji University, China
Natural Disaster Prevention to Electrical Grid Infrastructures in China: Earthquake, Wind Storms, and Icing
March 11
Dr Jérôme Kreuser
CEO, RisKontroller Global, USA
Risk Management in Public Institutions is Different: Everyone is Different in its Own Way
March 18
Prof. Richard de Neufville
MIT, USA
Flexibility in Engineering Design
March 25
Prof. Bruno Sudret
ETH Zurich
Computational Methods for Uncertainty Quantification in Engineering Risk Analysis
April 8
Prof. Victor Galaz
Stockholm University, Sweden
Connectivity, Risk and Global Governance - A Multi-Theoretical Social Science Perspective
April 15
Prof. Giovanni Puccetti
University of Firenze, Italy
Complete Mixability and Asymptotic Equivalence of Worst-Possible VaR and ES Estimates under General Marginal Assumptions
April 29
Prof. Ole Peters
London Mathematical Laboratory, UK
Decision Theory 2.0
May 6
Prof. Scott E. Page
University of Michigan, USA
Unpacking Collective Intelligence
May 20
Niels Viggo Haueter
Swiss Re, Head Corporate History, Zurich
Competing Forms of Risk Management in History - Caritas, Entrepreneurship, and the State
May 27
Dr Arnaud Mignan
ETH Zurich
Extreme Cascade Events and Risk Governance - The Early Life of a Generic Multi-Risk Framework
Seminar Series Fall 2013
September 24
Dr. Olivia Woolley Meza
ETH Zurich Little Information is not so Dangerous After All: Global Information Reduces Vaccination Efficacy
October 1
Prof. Peter Howitt
Brown University, USA
This Talk is co-organized by CER-ETH/KOF and the Risk Center
Theory and Practice of Monetary Policy
October 8
Dr. Roman Muraviev
Twelve Capital AG, Zurich
Catastrophe Bonds
October 15
Prof. José F. Mendes
Aveiro University, Portugal
Avalanche Collapse of Interdependent Networks
October 22
Prof. Scott Backhaus
Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA
Grid Science - An Interdisciplinary Approach to Electrical Grid Analysis, Control and Optimization
October 29
Prof. Raissa D'Souza
University of California, Davis, USA
Percolation, Cascades and Control of Interdependent Networks
November 5
Prof. Gerard de Jong
Institute for Transport Studies University of Leeds, UK
Predicting Uncertainty of Traffic Forecasts
November 14
Prof. Friedemann Freund
Earthquake Forecasting from a Global and Multidisciplinary Perspective: Science, Technology and Economics
November 19
Prof. Tso-Chien Pan
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Challenges in Catastrophe Risk Management of Asia
November 26
Prof. Stephan Pickl
Bundeswehr University Munich, Germany
Characterization of Resilience and Operation Processes in Aviation Management and Humanitarian Logistics
December 3
Prof. Giovanni Sansavini
ETH Zurich Failures in Engineered Complex Systems and Systems of Systems: a New Modeling and Simulation Challenge Calling for Innovative Techniques and Tools
Seminar Series Spring 2013
March 12
Pierre-Alain Graf
CEO, Swissgrid, Frick Managing Security of Supply in a Highly Interlinked System
March 19
Dr Richard Olsen
CEO, Olsen Ltd., Zurich Global Systems Science: From First Principles to the Mechanics of a Flourishing Economy
March 26
Prof. Enrico Zio
Ecole Centrale Paris The Complexity of Analyzing Vulnerability and Failures in Complex Engineered Systems
April 9
Prof. Gabe Mythen
University of Liverpool Pre-Crime and Counter-Terrorism: Vigilant Vistas or Pre-Emptive Delirium?
April 16
Dr Peter Müller
Director General, Federal Office of Civil Aviation, Bern-Ittigen Risk Based Oversight in Aviation
April 23
Prof. Tiziana Di Matteo
King's College, London Spread of Risk Across Financial Markets: Better to Invest in the Peripheries
May 7
Prof. Bozidar Stojadinovic
ETH Zurich Performance-Based Engineering of Resilient Communities
May 14
Dr Lukas Gubler
Chief Risk Officer, Axpo Trading, Dietikon Risk Management in Energy Trading - A Practitioner's View
May 21
Prof. Aaron Clauset
University of Colorado, Boulder Estimating the Historical and Future Probabilities of Large Terrorist Events
May 28
Prof. Marco Scarsini
Singapore University of Technology and Design Fear of Loss, Inframodularity and Transfers
Seminar Series Fall 2012
September 25
Prof. David Basin
Chair for Information Security, ETH Zurich Information Security Risks: Possibilities and Probabilities
October 2
Prof. Brian K. Min
Department of Political Science, University of Michigan Distributing Power: Evidence on Public Goods Provision by Satellite
October 9
Prof. Serge Paul Hoogendoorn
Transport & Planning Dept., Delft University of Technology Innovations in Data Collection for Evacuation Modeling and Management
October 16
John V. Duca
Vice President & Senior Public Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas How Complex Interactions Between Finance, Housing, and Consumption Can Lead to Deep Recessions
October 23
Prof. Semyon Malamud
Assistant Professor of Finance, EPFL, Lausanne Decentralized Exchange
October 30
Prof. Luciano Pietronero
Professor of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Rome A New Metric for the Economic Complexity of Countries and Products
November 6
Prof. Ortwin Renn
Environmental Sociology & Technology Assessment, University of Stuttgart Risk Governance: A New Concept to Deal with Complex, Uncertain and Ambiguous Risks
November 13
Prof. Valérie November
ESpRi Group, EPFL, Lausanne Spatiality of Risks
November 20
Dr. Peter Taylor
James Martin Research Fellow, University of Oxford Risk and the Cost of Uncertainty
November 27
Prof. Vyacheslav I. Yukalov
Joint Institute of Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia Risk Management for Self-Organized Complex Systems
December 4
Prof. Damir Filipovic
Head of Swiss Finance Institute, EPFL, Lausanne Risk-Based Solvency Regulation
December 11
Prof. Norio Okada
Integrated Disaster Risk Management, Kyoto University, Japan Japan after 3/11/2011 Disaster(s)
December 18
Prof. Leonardo Duenas-Osorio
Rice University, Houston Complex Systems Pathways to Risk-Based Decision Support in Infrastructure Engineering
Seminar Series Spring 2012
February 28
Dr. Rene Schnieper
Head Insurance, FINMA
2. Dr. Hansjörg Furrer
Head Quantitative Risk Management, Insurance, FINMA
Notice:
This talk is a PRMIA Zurich Chapter event, organized by the Center of Competence Finance in Zurich (CCFZ).
Location: ETH Zürich, Raemistrasse 101, Zurich, Room: AUDI MAX, (1st floor, HG F30).
Time: 18:30-20:00 (followed by cocktail).
More info and registration. The Swiss Solvency Test
March 6
Dr. Stefan Brem
Federal Office for Civil Protection Critical Infrastructures in Switzerland: Strategy, Risks and Measures
March 13
Prof. Hideaki Aoyama
Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University
Prof. Yoshi Fujiwara
Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo
Statistical Physics of Labour Productivity
Chained Financial Failures at Nation-wide Scale in Japan
March 20
Prof. Paul Embrechts
ETh Zurich
Copula Theory and Applications: Quo Vadis?
March 27
Vinicio Cellerini
CEO, Global Corporate Switzerland
Zurich Insurance Company Ltd