EPFL traces its roots to 1853 when it was founded as the private École Spéciale de Lausanne with just 11 students, inspired by French polytechnic models to train engineers. It evolved into the École Polytechnique de l'Université de Lausanne (EPUL) in 1869 after integration with the University of Lausanne, focusing on technical education. In 1969, it separated from the University of Lausanne to become an independent federal institute under its current name, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, one of Switzerland's two federal institutes of technology (alongside ETH Zurich), and has since expanded into a leading global center for science, engineering, and innovation.
EPFL's main campus is located in Écublens on the western edge of Lausanne, Switzerland, spanning about 136 acres along the shores of Lake Geneva with stunning Alpine views. It features a modern, innovative architectural landscape with over 65 buildings, including cutting-edge research facilities, a nuclear reactor, a fusion reactor, supercomputers, and sustainable hydropower-powered infrastructure. The campus includes banks, restaurants, bars, two museums (Musée Bolo for computing history and Archizoom for architecture/design), extensive green spaces, sports facilities, and excellent public transport links, creating a vibrant, collaborative environment in one of Europe's most beautiful settings.
EPFL is a public federal research university directly controlled by the Swiss Federal Council through the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain (ETH Domain) under the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. The President (chief executive) is Prof. Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, who took office in January 2025. Governance includes a leadership team with vice presidents for key areas like academic affairs, research, and operations, supported by federal funding, research grants, and partnerships, with an annual budget reflecting strong government support for its missions in education, research, and innovation.
Organized into five schools (Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Engineering, Basic Sciences, Life Sciences) and two colleges (Management of Technology and College of Humanities), EPFL offers bachelor's, master's, and PhD programs primarily in STEM fields, with growing strengths in life sciences, computer science, AI, robotics, materials, energy, and sustainability. It ranks among the world's elite universities (#22 in QS World University Rankings 2026, #35 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, consistently top 50 globally), renowned for interdisciplinary research, over 500 laboratories, high innovation output, and affiliations with Nobel laureates and breakthrough technologies.
EPFL enrolls over 15,000 students (including a highly international community from more than 120 nationalities), fostering a cosmopolitan, collaborative, and innovative atmosphere. Student life features modern housing options, diverse dining, extensive sports and recreation facilities, and hundreds of student clubs and associations covering academics, culture, entrepreneurship, arts, and activism. The campus buzzes with events, festivals, volunteering, and outdoor activities around Lake Geneva, balanced by rigorous academics and strong support for wellbeing, career services, and entrepreneurship in a dynamic, multilingual Swiss environment.
Professors at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
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