The students invited by the Swiss Study Foundation to take part in one of four summer schools are among the best in their fields. But there’s more than just high intelligence in the equation: these bright young minds are also curious and not the least afraid to take on new challenges. Not just a few of the 80 participants at the summer school select a subject that is almost entirely unrelated to their studies. Five portraits of outstanding STEM students who attended a summer school in Magliaso in 2017.

Maximilian Mordig

studies physics, computational science and engineering; summer school on healthcare management with limited resources; 20 years old 

“I skipped four grades at school, earned my university entry qualification aged 15. I then started studying physics at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne—because of the French language and the relaxed way of life in French-speaking Switzerland. I earned my master’s at the age of 20. Because I was still young, I first lived with a host family in Lausanne, but I often went home on the weekends to my family in the Basel region. My parents are both doctors and I also have two brothers and a sister. We are an active family; I jog and cycle.

I’m most productive when I work under pressure and do many things at the same time; my best ideas come to me right before a deadline. In addition to my studies, I read all sorts of books, most recently works by Balzac and Albert Schweitzer. I also like discovering new places. When I was 16, I spent eight weeks in Qingdao learning Chinese. At first, I couldn’t understand a word or even order a meal—it was a very strange experience. But I got the hang of it after three weeks.

My next step is to complete my compulsory military service, preferably as a paramedic or an Alpine specialist. In the military, I’ll have to learn to work with people from all walks of life—an invaluable skill if I later have a leadership position; my analytical approach is, of course, only one way to solve a problem.  I would like to become a professor of theoretical mathematics. Algebra fascinates me. Everything is founded on basic theorems and definitions that can be built upon to reach results; there’s a beauty—almost magic—to it. On the other hand, I could also see myself founding an IT start-up: when I do the same thing for too long, I get bored.”
 

Roman Blum

studies microtechnology; summer school on cultural evolution and religion; 23 years old   

“As a teenager, I often revamped bikes; I liked converting them into fixies without using any additional parts. It more or less worked, but they were a devil to ride! A year ago, I finally bought myself a real fixie. I’m fascinated by their special dynamics.

I completed the bilingual Swiss university entry qualification (German/English) with a focus on Russian and now study microtechnology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. I feel that I can have the greatest impact in the area of the natural sciences; it inspires me to create something new that is objectively better than its predecessor. My dream is a computer that uses photons rather than electrons for data transmission.

Over the last two years I’ve become an avid photographer. Before my studies abroad in Sweden, I bought a single-lens reflex camera; I now take it everywhere. I photograph landscapes, cities, people and my own still-life arrangements, not to mention diverse events of the student society ‘Association des Etudiants en Microtechnique’.

I gained my first leadership experience in the military, where I completed my service as a non-commissioned officer for nuclear, biological and chemical defence. I don’t have a problem with tough leadership, as long as the situation requires it.

I’m attending the summer school on cultural evolution and religion. I like how the discussions can continually evolve without a specific goal in mind, and I enjoy discovering more about the history of humanity. I find such knowledge very important for my generation; we often lack a sense of the bigger picture.
 

Nicole Speck

grant recipient of the Werner Siemens Foundation; studies human medicine; summer school on big data; 24 years old

“I would like to specialise in reconstructive plastic surgery. This branch of surgery repairs damage to the face or other parts of the body in burn victims or in patients who have had large tumours removed; breast reconstruction after a cancer operation is just one example.

Next year I’ll be travelling to South Africa for a month to gain experience in trauma surgery and intensive-care medicine. In South Africa, the incidence of emergency patients with stab or gunshot wounds is much higher than in Switzerland. After that I would like to immerse myself in ear, nose and throat surgery in Australia. My plans to study abroad are why I applied for a scholarship from the Werner Siemens Foundation—for financial assistance during the internships. I also find the exchange with other grant recipients very inspiring.

After finishing my master’s degree, I’ll probably go to California to work in stem-cell and skin-replacement research— I’ve made it a priority to gain international experience. Last year I was in an operating theatre in Oxford—it was astounding to see how differently they work there. These diverse experiences will help me to develop my own methods as a surgeon.

I’m also fascinated by the fine arts, especially sculpture and architecture: they’re not so far removed from plastic surgery. Aside from anatomical knowledge, plastic surgeons have to cultivate an eye for what looks natural and works well in the overall picture. I can spend hours in the sculpture collection of the Louvre in Paris observing how the objects change according to the light and perspective.”

Aline Steiner

PhD candidate in veterinary medicine; summer school on healthcare management with limited resources; 26 years old 

“My doctoral thesis is a critical literature review that calls into question previous studies using laboratory animals. In my work, I posit that the type of anaesthesia used in animal testing influences the results, which in turn adversely affects the comparability of the studies. I’m convinced that too much animal testing is carried out in the pre-clinical phase. Animal testing should be authorised only when it's 100% necessary and completely thought through, and when the quality of the study is high. And where animal testing is truly necessary, it must be conducted under conditions that take the welfare of the particular species into account. For example, under the current standards for keeping animals, laboratory rats and mice lack challenging activity. Moreover, rats can be tamed, but not mice—mice are actually distressed by attempts to tame them. That’s why I believe that animal testing should be conducted on the species that suffers least under the tests.

I haven’t had much leadership experience to date. In addition to working on my thesis, I work as a resident physician at the veterinary hospital in a very large team. I think good leadership depends much on appreciation and respect, as well as on strong inter-personal skills.

My whole family is active in animal protection. My brother and I have worked as helpers in a Romanian animal shelter; I found that very meaningful and rewarding. Now I advise the liaison team for Casa Cainelui when they have medical questions. I also have my dog from there.

This is the fourth time that I’ve attended a summer school: the learning approach and inspiring surroundings fit perfectly with my ideal picture of scholarship.”

Servan Grüninger

bachelor's degree in biology; master's degree in biostatistics; 2^ndmaster's degree in computational science and engineering; co-leader of summer school on big data; 26 years old 

“The biostatistician Stephen Senn once wrote that statisticians are second-class mathematicians, third-rate scientists and fourth-rate thinkers. That may have a hint of truth, but it also means that statisticians have strong inter-disciplinary skills and can make a positive contribution in a variety of fields—that suits me well. I have a bachelor’s degree in biology, with three minors in neuroinformatics, political science and law, and a master’s degree in biostatistics from the University of Zurich. And to brush up on my second-class mathematical skills, I’m currently completing a second master’s degree in computational science and engineering at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.

I’ve attended summer schools before as a student, but this time I’m co-leading the summer school on big data. We’ve created a program that aims to give as many students as possible an insight into big data, including those who have no prior knowledge of the subject.

I’ve almost always worked during my studies—first as a salesperson, then in a book shop, and then in research. Since 2014, I’ve been writing blogs and freelance articles for the newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung. For over three years now I’ve been active in a science think-tank called ‘reatch—research and technology in Switzerland’ that strives to promote a science-friendly culture in society. Our goal is to harness the full potential of science, but without technocratic decisions riding roughshod over societal concerns. We want to strengthen people’s trust in science while also promoting a strong sense of social responsibility among scientists.”

Portraits: Brigitt Blöchlinger
Photos: Frank Brüderli