President
Professor Dr. Jo?l Mesot has been President of ETH Zurich since 1 January 2019.
The President bears legal and political responsibility for the university and is accountable to the ETH Board for its management.
He chairs the Executive Board and coordinates its activities; the other members of the Executive Board are answerable to him. In consultation with other members of the Executive Board and on the basis of the ETH Board’s strategic plan, he determines the strategy. The President also decides about the budget, allocates funds to the different areas of activity (domains) of the Executive Board and to the departments, and oversees the finances for the entire university.
He is responsible for appointing professors and also appoints the heads of department at the request of departmental conferences. He represents the university to the outside world; he maintains relationships with public authorities, political bodies and the general public and is responsible for communication policy. He is in charge of the internationalisation process – the university’s international positioning - and building up strategic alliances. His responsibilities also include fund-raising and alumni relations.
