Wolfgang Zucha

An intense journey in uncharted territory

When I completed my banking apprenticeship in 2009, I never imagined I would end up as a doctoral student at ETH Zurich. But life is full of surprises, and not everything goes according to plan. After finishing my passerelle program, I went on to study Earth Sciences at the University of Bern. Following my studies, I worked for three years at a competence center for secondary raw materials. Eventually, however, the challenge of a PhD began to appeal to me, and I found myself returning to academia. By chance, I ended up at ETH Zurich, which had the most intriguing positions to offer.

In my doctorate, I am focusing on a unique variety of the clay mineral montmorillonite. Interestingly, my Bachelor’s and Master’s theses covered completely different topics - sticking to the same thing all the time would be far too dull!

What I appreciate most about being a doctoral student at IGT is the freedom, the independence, and the intellectual challenge of finding solutions to complex problems. But it is important not to have any illusions: a doctorate is no romantic adventure - it's an intense journey through uncharted territory. My experience in the military has certainly equipped me to handle the challenges of this path.

What do I want to do after my doctorate? My go-to answer is always "Pokémon trainer." Obviously, I have a couple of ideas, but I am keeping those close to my chest. The one thing I know for sure is that I will be traveling for a few months.