
Konrad Osterwalder was born in Switzerland in 1942. He studied at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule; ETH) in Zurich, where he earned a diploma (1965) and a doctorate (1970) in theoretical physics. After working for one year at New York University, he joined Harvard University, eventually becoming Associate Professor of Mathematical Physics (1976). In 1977, he returned to Switzerland as a full Professor of Mathematical Physics at ETH Zurich. He served as Head of the ETH Department of Mathematics (1986–1990) and Head of the Institute's Planning Committee (1990–1995); in 1995, he was appointed Rector of ETH, a post he held for 12 years. On August 31 2007, Professor Dr. Konrad Osterwalder assumed the rectorate of United Nations University.