Departments
Research is the foundation of teaching. At MILAC applied research is pursued in six areas. Research findings flow seamlessly into the lessons and work of the career officers.
Leadership and Communication
No matter what we do in life, one fact remains constant: we work with other people. Thus, our success in any field largely depends on how well we understand ourselves and others, our cooperative skills, and our ability to grow and support those we lead. Our program sets the stage for this comprehension.
Military History
The Department of Military History at the Military Academy (MILAC) at ETH Zurich deals with the historical development of the military and of military thought in Switzerland as well as in the Western world since the end of the Napoleonic era. It focuses on the military in the form of state-organised, formally standardised and hierarchically structured armed forces, and provides an understanding of their formation, application and transformation in times of war and peace. In particular, the departement focuses on the development of tactics and doctrine in the German-speaking armed forces during the world war era.
Defense Economics
The Chair of Defense Economics conducts research on national and international issues of defense economics from an institutional perspective. It aims to contribute to the security of state and society. Using quantitative simulation models, it analyzes possible vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures. From a technological and logistical perspective, it assesses the sustainability of military operations.
Military Psychology and Military Pedagogics
The Department of Military Psychology and Pedagogics deals with the research and teaching of the psychological aspects of personnel selection, training and leadership in the military.The Department develops and applies procedures for leadership selection, and improves these procedures further based on its practical experience and scientific findings. The Department explores what, fundamentally, motivates members of the armed forces in order to be able to design the best approaches for military training and leadership recruitment. By defining what we value in our military, we are able to provide a basis for the design of military training content and our organisational culture.Finally, with a view to the stresses and strains of everyday military life and deployment, the Department examines individuals’ mental prerequisites and coping mechanisms. The focus here is on assessing and improving resilience. Through its activities at the interface between science and practice, the Department helps to create the best possible conditions for our military to fulfil its missions.
Military Sociology
At the Academic Department of Military Sociology research focuses on military-civilian relations, acceptance of the Swiss militia system and the diversity of armed forces. Other topics include conscription, the field of security and international cooperation between armies while on deployment abroad. The Academic Department also assesses Swiss public opinion on matters of security and defence.
Strategic Studies
The Strategic Studies Department conducts research within the areas listed below. Its basic understanding of strategy is that of a constant interaction between ends, ways and means with regard to the development ("transformation") of armed forces and to their employment in times of crises and war («operational strategy»).