EURAXESS Group Study Visit at ETH - Stefano Giacomelli

From 16 to 18 February 2026, Stefano Giacomelli took part in the EURAXESS Group Study Visit at ETH Zurich, which focused on the theme “Promoting Young Researchers: How to Navigate the Research Career Path”, which brought together representatives from European universities and research centres to discuss tools and best practices for supporting researchers’ career development, with a particular focus on international mobility, academic wellbeing and gender equality.

Stefano has shared his experience in the following account. 

The EURAXESS programme and the ERA Talent initiative 

EURAXESS is a European network supported by the European Commission that promotes the mobility and professional development of researchers, offering services relating to job opportunities, funding, mobility support and career development. 
The initiative forms part of the European Research Area (ERA), which aims to create an integrated European research market by facilitating the movement of researchers, knowledge and technologies between European countries. As part of the European ERA Talent project (2023–2026), EURAXESS is developing tools and programmes to improve the career trajectories of researchers in both academia and the industrial and business sectors. 

Key topics of the study visit 
During the three days of meetings, a number of key topics relating to academic career management and support for early-career researchers were discussed, including: 

• funding and support tools offered by the ETH Grants Office; 
• skills development for researchers (self-reflection, self-promotion and career planning); 
• mental wellbeing and conflict management in the academic environment; 
• professional development programmes for PhD students and postdocs; 
• institutional strategies for gender equality and diversity in academia. 

ETH Zurich’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) strategy was also presented, which includes measures to promote inclusive workplaces, mentoring programmes and initiatives to improve the balance between private life and academic careers. 

A key part of the visit involved the presentation of the results of a EURAXESS project dedicated to the phenomenon of the ‘leaky pipeline’, i.e. the gradual reduction in the number of women in the advanced stages of an academic career. 

AI in onboarding 
One project that struck me was how ETH is implementing an onboarding programme for academic staff using AI-optimised chatbots. Essentially, when a new member of staff arrives and has a question – for example, about health insurance cover in Switzerland – they ask the chatbot system. Only if they do not receive answers that meet their needs do they need to contact staff. This ensures accuracy and speed of response, reducing the workload for administrative staff. 

Conclusions 
The study visit provided an opportunity for different European institutions to exchange views on policies and tools supporting academic careers. In particular, it highlighted the importance of adopting a systemic approach that combines institutional policies, mentoring programmes, support for mobility and cultural changes within universities.
 

Stefano Giacomelli (PhD) serves as assistant to the Dean, the Vice-Dean Study Delegate, and the Director of the Doctoral Program at the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society.