Michael Baumer: “Urban development has many parallels with computer science”
The Zurich City Councillor Michael Baumer studied computer science at ETH Zurich from 1994 to 1999 and was president of the Association of Computer Science Students (VIS). Today, he is applying the skills and experiences he gained during his studies on the political stage.
Michael Baumer, why did you decide to study computer science?
I always wanted to know how things worked. So I took apart all the devices we had at home, not always to the pleasure of those around me! I was also fascinated by programming. At the beginning of my studies, I mainly wanted to develop games.
Where did you work after graduation?
I was an assistant at the Department of Computer Science for five years and worked as a student advisor. After that, I ran my own software company for about 12 years. Right after graduation, I got into politics and was particularly involved with urban development. When I got the chance to join the executive of Switzerland's largest city, I decided to turn this passion into a career.
Have you given up computer science altogether?
No, because my experience helps me to drive forward digitalisation within the administration. Urban development has many parallels with computer science: it involves very complex relationships and you have to find solutions at a low level without losing sight of the big picture. Computer science also taught me “modularisation”: breaking down broad problems into solvable tasks. Besides, I still code as a hobby.
What did you learn from your studies that is still useful to you today?
A statement by Professor Carl August Zehnder made an impression on me: “Don't compare your solution to a bad IT solution, but to a good paper solution.” In other words, digital is only better if it is truly more efficient. The ability to obtain and critically evaluate the necessary information myself is also very valuable to me. As president of VIS and as a study advisor, I was also able to establish many contacts. For example, I met my best man during my studies.
What was your favourite lecture?
I mainly liked the wide range of lectures. One of my favourite lectures was “Multimedia Information Retrieval”, which was about how media data can be indexed and searched – and this in the founding year of Google!
What do you wish to D-INFK for its 40th birthday?
I wish that the department can continue to adapt quickly to the changing issues in computer science over the next 40 years and remain one of the world's leading departments in this field.
40 years D-INFK
In 1981, the computer science curriculum was introduced at ETH Zurich. At the same time, the IIIC division was established, which was the foundation for today's Department of Computer Science. On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, we present alumnae and alumni who have carried their knowledge and skills from ETH Zurich into the outside world over the past four decades.