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.
Dr. Patrick Hofstetter
Patrick Hofstetter has been a lecturer in leadership and communication at the Military Academy (MILAC) at ETH Zurich since 01.01.2023, where he contributes his interdisciplinary background and his diverse practical experience. After obtaining a Master of Science in Physics from the University of Bern, Patrick Hofstetter taught physics and mathematics as a secondary school teacher, then studied military science at the Military Academy at ETH Zurich and served as a career officer in the Swiss Armed Forces in various leading functions and in leadership training. During four years he contributed to the armed forces reform 2017 with the project «job profiles defense». In parallel, he wrote his dissertation under Prof. Dr. Bruno Staffelbach at the Chair of Human Resource Management at the University of Zurich, which was awarded the Norbert Thom Foundation's Recognition Prize for Outstanding Dissertations in Public Management / Public Business Administration in 2017. From 2020 to 2022, Patrick Hofstetter was responsible for the digitization of the University of Lucerne in the context of the Covid 19 pandemic and for the foundation of the Continuing Education Academy at the University of Lucerne. Since 01.01.2023, he has commanded the Mountain Infantry Battalion 29 as a Lieutenant Colonel (OF-4).
Dr. Ivana Igic
Dr. Ivana Igic holds the position of docent and co-head of the Leadership and Communication study at the Military Academy (MILAK) at ETH. She started her academic career with a master's in psychology from the University of Belgrade. She then moved to Switzerland for further studies, earning a master's in work and organizational psychology and differential and personality psychology from the University of Bern. After obtaining her master's, she embarked on her doctoral journey at the same university, resulting in a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. During this period, she also had the opportunity to serve as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Irvine. Following her doctorate, she held various positions at the University of Bern, including postdoctoral researcher, project leader, and senior researcher.
Dr. phil. Florian Demont
Born 1982 in Brig-Glis (VS), BA in English and Philosophy from Basle University (2003-2007), MPhil in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham and research at KCL (2007-2009), followed by a PhD in Philosophy of Language at Zurich University (2010-2012). He has been a lecturer for the Military Academy at ETH Zurich since 2013, teaching Lleadership at ETH Zurich. He also taught Business Ethics at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (2016-2019) and teaches Leadership at Lucerne University (since 2019).
MA Sarah von Felten
Sarah von Felten (MA) received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in History and English from the University of Basel. In addition to her studies at the University of Basel, she completed Erasmus+ semesters at the Humboldt University in Berlin and at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. Currently, Sarah von Felten is working as a research associate at the Leadership and Communication Department of the Military Academy at ETH Zurich on the international project "Comparative Analysis of Military Leadership Concepts". Further, she is writing her dissertation at the University of Bern.