The Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, ETHZ, was founded by the Swiss government in 1854 as a polytechnic and opened its doors in Zurich in 1855. Until 1969 it was the only national university in Switzerland. Today it is part of the ETH domain which is made up of the two universities in Zurich and Lausanne (the EPFL) and four national research institutes. In education, research, and services the ETH Zurich measures itself against the highest recognised international standards.
