Coming to the Bay Area has allowed me to connect with practitioners, visionaries, artists, engineers, scholars, activists and self-advocacy groups in my field. I challenged the lab, which I am the manager of, and sharpened its mission. I will return to enriched by the ideas, realities and visions of the wonderful people I met.
– Dario D'Agostino
This year we welcome 3 researchers from Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) to Swissnex in San Francisco. Their stays range from a few days to several weeks and they are guided and supported by Swissnex in San Francisco. During their first days, we introduce them to the infamous Silicon Valley mindset, help clarify their goal for their stay, and support them in making connections with local stakeholders.
By being exposed to a completely different networks and different ways of looking at the world, many participants gain insights integral to the further development of their projects. This years cohorts consist of:
Peter Schwendner | July 17 – 31
- Prof. Peter Schwendner leads the Institute of Wealth and Asset Management at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. He gained 15 years of experience as a quant in the financial industry after earning his PhD in physics. His research focuses on evidence-based sustainable finance decision-making. The Swiss research foundation supports his project, www.Spatial-Sustainable-Finance.ch, which aims to link remote-sensing-based biodiversity indicators of corporate impacts to financial valuations and portfolio allocations. Peter has in-depth experience in implementing machine-learning techniques in portfolio allocation through collaboration with leading asset managers. He is also a Certified Instructor and University Ambassador at the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute. Additionally, Peter runs working groups within several COST actions to link researchers across Europe.
Markus Hackenfort | Aug. 19 – Sept 13
- What is the impact of self-driving technology on humans? Markus likes to get in touch with researchers and practitioners who are interested in Traffic Safety and Human Machine Interaction in Automated Driving. Based on his Human Factors background, he also wants to share his knowledge with people who want to make traffic conditions safer by considering human behavior – and human errors.
Manuel Arias Chao | Fall
- Manuel Arias Chao is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Smart Maintenance, serving as the Programme Director for the CAS Maintenance Management and a Visiting Researcher in Air Transport and Operations. He holds a PhD in Physics-informed Machine Learning for PHM from ETH Zurich, an MSc in Thermal Power from Cranfield University, and a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid. With over a decade of industrial and research experience, Manuel has held roles such as Visiting Scientist at NASA Ames, Research Associate in Predictive Maintenance at ZHAW, Lead Engineer in Gas Turbine Thermodynamics at GE, R&D Performance Owner at ALSTOM Power, Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer at Fluent, and Aero-engine Maintenance Engineer at ITP. Since 2021, he has been co-leading the Expert Group Smart Maintenance at ZHAW’s School of Engineering, spearheading R&D projects with industry partners. His work focuses on developing data-driven and hybrid algorithms that integrate physics and deep-learning models for intelligent maintenance, applicable to power generation, marine and aircraft propulsion, and manufacturing equipment.
ZHAW staff members are given the opportunity to travel to a Swissnex location of their choice for a duration of two weeks. The idea is that ZHAW staff in all organizational units use the opportunity to expand their international and intercultural knowledge in connection with research projects, teaching assignments, advanced training, administration, information technology, finances, legal practice, communication, etc. for long-term impact.
Swissnex provides the ZHAW staff members with the necessary mindset, skillset, and network they need to connect with the local ecosystem successfully. The aim is to strengthen the international network and intercultural competencies of staff across ZHAW. The disciplines and fields of expertise of the different ZHAW staff members joining this program are very diverse.
If you have questions about the program, please reach out to our Academin Engagement Program Manager Sarah Burckhardt.
My time at Swissnex in San Francisco was unforgettable and opened me up to a whole new world of possibilities, both personally and professionally. Not only did I get to meet fascinating and inspiring individuals, but I also learned a new way of seeing myself, my project, and the world. I feel privileged to call the incredible Swissnex SF team my friends and thank them for their limitless energy.
– Stephan Scholz
