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Swiss Young Academy SYA
“I don’t like polite applause”
His life is characterized by variety, while his academic career is driven by curiosity and interest. Servan Grüninger, a founding member of the Swiss Young Academy and co-founder of the think tank “Reatch”, could perhaps be described as an intellectual nomad. He is currently working on his dissertation in Vienna.
Interview: Astrid Tomczak-Plewka
Servan Grüninger, which three qualities would you use to characterize yourself?
Ah, that’s a difficult question. Curiosity for sure. I’m always interested in very different things, even if they have nothing to do with my subject. I really like getting to know new people and asking them questions. And I would also say that I’m a critical person. If someone says to me: “Okay, let’s just assume that”, then I start poking around.
What do you prefer, criticism or applause?
I prefer applause for what I have really worked hard on. If I’m satisfied with something and have invested a lot of time and energy, I enjoy recognition. I appreciate criticism, particularly in the development process. On the other hand, I don’t like polite applause.
And what if criticism is levelled at something that you feel is well thought out?
That used to bother me more. Today, I ask whether the criticism is well-founded. If it’s based on something I’ve already considered, I don’t argue too much. If, on the other hand, it opens up new perspectives for me, that can be very helpful – especially when I’m writing a text.
What fascinates you about statistics?
The diversity. There’s a saying by a statistician, Stephen Senn, which goes: “A statistician is a second-rate mathematician, a third-rate scientist and a fourth-rate thinker.” That’s an exaggeration, but I think it summarizes very neatly how broad and diverse the field is and how many different skills one needs. Statistics is not just about numbers and formulae – it’s about asking the right questions, questioning assumptions and understanding what a number really means. Many people see statistics as pure maths, but it’s much more than that. One has to ask oneself: what data do we have, what data are we lacking? What methods can we use to make meaningful statements? Statistics are often simply taken for granted, as if they had dropped out of the sky, without anyone questioning how they were collected. People take them and match them with their own projections and conceptions, be it crime statistics, statistics on economic trends or even science statistics.
Can you give an example?
Some time ago, there were reports about a fungus that was spreading in hospitals in the USA. The newspaper Blick wanted to know from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) what the situation was like in Switzerland. The answer was that the FOPH had no knowledge of an increase in cases. However, infections with the fungus were not yet notifiable at that time. This shows up the typical danger of the “data gap”: only what is counted counts – even though in reality the problem may be a major one.
Another example is the reduction of individuals to average values. I observe this time and again, particularly about topics discussed in politically-heated debates. For example, the spectre of a political “gender divide” regularly haunts the media. On average, women’s views are indeed more left-wing than men’s. But only on average. If you take a look at the overall distribution, you see that the political views of men and women overlap considerably – not only in the centre, but also on the political fringes.
Do you have a role model in science?
I find William Gosset inspiring. He developed the Student’s t-test – an important test in statistics – but was not allowed to publish it under his own name because he worked for Guinness, where he analysed the quality of hops and malt. So, he used the pseudonym “Student”. In those days as now, there were many big egos in science. What impresses me is that Gosset remained collegial despite the competition and kept a low profile himself. The other is Stefano Franscini, a member of Switzerland’s first Federal Council and a pioneer of statistics in Switzerland. He worked painstakingly and meticulously to compile Switzerland’s first comprehensive statistics and later organized the first census in 1850 almost single-handedly as a Federal Councillor. He did a great deal for the community without benefiting from it himself – that impresses me a lot. He then died in office as a Federal Councillor because he couldn’t afford to stop being a Federal Councillor – in those days, former Federal Councillors didn’t yet receive a pension.
Who has shaped you the most?
I have often relocated in my life, which has shaped my zest for discovery. I have met people everywhere from whom I was able to learn something. The freedom that some mentors provided also shaped me.
You were a founding member of the Young Academy. What was your motivation to apply?
I already knew that the Young Academy was coming before it existed. I thought it was great that the Swiss Academies were making this possible, because at the time there were not many organizations that promoted interdisciplinary exchange and a connection to society for young researchers. I hoped to get to know people with similar interests there and to launch projects.
Have those expectations been fulfilled?
Yes, I was very active, particularly in the first few years. I got to know familiar and new people, with whom I have cooperated intensively. The diversity of profiles at the Young Academy is exciting.
Looking back, what is the biggest thing you have learned from this active period?
In the “Who gets heard” project in particular, I learnt a lot about science policy and the different conceptions of what science means in politics. It was exciting to see that for many politicians, it is not only universities or research institutions that provide scientific expertise, but also think tanks and associations. Science is often perceived from a broader perspective than ours within the Academy.
And what has the time you have spent at the Young Academy done for your personal development?
I’ve learnt that it’s perfectly all right to step back sometimes and leave responsibility to other people. I was and am glad that we have a strong Executive Board whom I could trust. It was a learning process for me, because otherwise I was often in positions in which I very soon took on responsibility.
What message do you have for young people who are about to decide which degree course to take?
That I am probably the worst person to give advice (laughs). The path I took was a succession of interest-led decisions, plus a lot of luck and hard work. I started with political science and law, then I studied biology and neuroinformatics, followed by statistics and computational science – and now I’m completing a doctorate in biostatistics and epidemiology. I didn’t have a master plan. My advice would be: keep your eyes open, try things out and let your interests guide you. On the other hand, anyone who would like to know for sure where they will be in ten years’ time should probably take a different path.
Servan Grüninger was born in Schaffhausen, grew up in Graubünden, lived in the USA, Germany and Tanzania during his studies, then spent a few years in Biel/Bienne and is currently in Vienna, where he is working on his dissertation. “I’ve always needed to have a task,” he says. “I’m not the kind of person who travels around aimlessly for a long time. There were also pragmatic reasons for this: I needed money. That meant I always combined my travels with work.” The son of a Schaffhausen woman and a Kurd began his studies in political science and law and graduated with a degree in biology, biostatistics and computational science. The co-founder of the scientific think tank “Reatch” enjoys writing – journalism but also fiction. He also keeps himself physically fit, including with yoga and (ballroom) dancing. He used to practise parkour but “unfortunately, today I don’t get around to it any more”. He also plays the ukulele, reads a lot and enjoys going to concerts. “It depends a lot on who I’m travelling with at the time,” says Grüninger. “I just appreciate the variety and the broad range of people around me. I prefer to go dancing with some people, to have a board-games evening with others or to talk about literature.”