A notice of termination, many losers

Officially, the ETH Board meets in may. For yesterday, however, was convened on short notice a Meeting. An extraordinary Meeting for an extraordinary case: Marcella Carollo, the Italian physics Professor. The question the Supreme Organ of the ETH: the termination or not? It would be the first Time in the 164-year history of the ETH, a Professor, or a Professor would be dismissed. Much is at stake.

In the course of Carollo at the ETH Council decided yesterday that a further inquiry. It relates to the physics Professor Ursula Keller, who rushed Carollo medial to help. Keller spoke in Interviews of corruption and unofficial coalitions, by the ETH Zurich will be directed. Basement shows still the man. "I still stand behind what I said", says the Professor at the request of the "Tages-Anzeiger". You follow the advice of their parents: "the one Who fights for the Right, can't lose the length."

support for Mesot

except in the case of Carollo is decided, it need weeks, if not months, the media spokesman of the ETH-Council, align. Insiders expect that the Council will follow the request of President Joël Mesot, and the Professor dismisses. "You will be careful not to fall to the new President of ETH Zurich in the back," says a senior ETH-employee who asked not to be named. Mesot took up office on 1. January. In mid-March, he announced his request for the dismissal of Carollo. He resisted a Commission, which came to the conclusion that a dismissal from a legal point of view "is rather to be justified". The same Commission ruled, however, that the allegations against Carollo were largely accurate, and the Professor no insight show.

At the request of the TA, the Professor shows a little remorse: you've made mistakes, says Carollo. And qualified immediately: "What man does not do this, who's perfect?" The Professor speaks a warning: dismiss it, then you see yourself forced to take legal action. The ETH is a long-standing legal dispute threatens.

the President would like to pull a line under the affair. An affair in which there are only losers: Carollo, who worked at the former Institute for astronomy, until 2017, was dissolved by the ETH Board; her husband, Simon Lilly, who had founded the Institute and the University itself, which was international in the headlines; an Ombudsman who lost his Job; the former ETH President Lino Guzzella, who last year renounced to the massive pressure on his Person for re-election. But above all, there were students and Doctoral students, who had to suffer – those who were exposed to the controversial coaching methods, Professor Carollo and for years, not seriously.

"the victims become perpetrators and Vice versa. And facts are deliberately twisted."Ex-PhD student of Carollo

The beginnings date back to the year 2002. The ETH commissioned the British physicist Simon Lilly, of the Institute for astronomy. With Lilly, his wife, Marcella Carollo, who was now employed at the same Institute came.

It came to problems between Carollo and their doctoral students. The TA stepped in 2017, with several people in contact and reported on their experiences with Carollo. "You tapped me on the forehead and said that my brain was too small for content consumption," said a former doctoral student. An Affected recalled an Episode when you are desperate after a failure to their Professor came. "How do you react when the next failure? You want to then from the window falls?" Carollo doesn't remember today, to have such statements made.

incidents go far back

for More statements of Affected individuals, so-called Testimonials, are available to the TA. Often used in Carollo made a snide tone, strikingly often compared to women. "A supposedly incorrect posture towards it could lead to long discussions", told a Post-doctoral researcher.

Some of the incidents occurred prior to 2010. Until 2017, the ETH responded. An Italian PhD student with a heart and contacted was in January of 2017, the then Ombudsman, Wilfred van Gunsteren, although Carollo had threatened previously. Van Gunsteren showed up scared and it was self-active, he contacted current and former doctoral students of Carollo. In may, the van turned Gunsteren with a detailed report to President Lino Guzzella.

The Situation was so drastic that the school administration took immediate action: she closed the Institute for astronomy, and the school sent Carollo and her husband in a Sabbatical – with the prospect of returning to the University. The appeared to the Ombudsman to be half-hearted. Van Gunsteren intervened again – at the highest level, the ETH-Council: "I could not answer that another Generation of doctoral students, the psychological abuse, the Professor has to expose." Only on pressure of the ETH Board Guzzella initiated in October 2017 in an administrative investigation. In March 2018, he said the two Ombudsmen that their terms of office were not extended. "We were uncomfortable with the school Board," said van Gunsteren.

The case seemed to be gone. To the online magazine "Republic" two weeks ago, the story began in one more divider to roll up. The journalists describe in great detail and quote from a variety of internal, ETH-documents. This is exciting to read, especially as the authors write, as they had been. The Research will reveal, but also a weakness, of my Concerned, it was one-sided and spread is primarily from the perspective of the accused Carollo and Professor Ursula Keller, vehemently for her colleague.

In an interview with the TA you show yourself irritated by the reporting: Former PhD students of Carollo, ETH-managers or Wilfred van Gunsteren, would tell a very different Version of the story. A former doctoral student doesn't mind that the PhD students get a word in: He had been a "Republic"Reporter contacted. However, none of his statements had been used. "This wouldn't have fit in the story about the "victim Carollo"."

"Feminist koeppel"

anyone Who reads the reports, can come to the conclusion: All are to blame, unless the accused Professor. The doctoral students, who criticize it as the First dare, the care methods of Carollo – it is described as vindictive. Ombudsman van Gunsteren, brought the case into the roles – he is said to have exceeded his powers. And the ETH is not an abusive procedure, which corresponds to the legal Standard. ETH responded and tried to refute the allegations publicly. But because it was already in the pillory.

has Now turned the "world week". In an Interview with the blade, the Professor as the victim of a witch hunt staged: "I'm Anna Göldi." This week, editor-in-chief engages Roger Köppel, even in the keys, and writes of anarchist States. Köppel bases its report primarily on the "Republic"Research. His surprising conclusion: The case Carollo have made it to the feminists. "Anyone who reads this, can not help."

"victims are made perpetrators, and Vice versa. Facts are deliberately twisted or misrepresented," says the former PhD student. He was among the 36 people who were interviewed by the ETH for the case, Carollo. The doctoral student representation Aveth introduced this week, President Mesot. The series of articles of the "Republic" represents the PhD as a group of vengeful conspirators. Bullying and unethical behavior were belittled.

(Tages-Anzeiger)

Created: 29.03.2019, 22:50 PM