École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
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| École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne | |
| Image:EPFL-logo.gif | |
| Motto | -- |
| Established | 1853, Opened 1869 |
| School type | Public |
| President | Patrick Aebischer |
| Location | Lausanne, VD, CH |
| Campus | Urban |
| Enrollment | ~ 5k undergraduate, ~ 1k PhD Students |
| Faculty | ~ |
| Mascot | -- |
| Nationalities | 100+ |
| Official website | www.epfl.ch |
The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne in Switzerland (French speaking part of Switzerland). EPFL is in the heart of Europe and is one of Europe's leading institutions of science and technology. The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government which has given EPFL the mission to:
- educate engineers and scientists;
- be a national center of excellence in science and technology; and
- provide a hub for interaction between the scientific community and industry.
A similar institution is present in the German speaking part of Switzerland and is known as the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich or ETHZ).
Contents |
History
Founded in 1853 as a private school under the name École spéciale de Lausanne, it became the technical department of the public Académie de Lausanne in 1869. When the latter was reorganized and acquired the status of a university in 1890, the technical faculty changed its name to École d'ingénieurs de l'Université de Lausanne. In 1946, it was renamed to École polytechnique de l'Université de Lausanne (EPUL).
In 1969, the EPUL was separated from the rest of the university of Lausanne and became a federal institute under its current name. The EPFL, like the ETHZ, is thus directly controlled by the Swiss federal government. In contrast, all other universities in Switzerland are controlled by their respective cantonal governments.
The EPFL operates a nuclear reactor, Crocus, a Tokamak fusion reactor and P3 bio-hazard facilities. It will also absorb the ISREC (Institute for Cancer Research) by 2008.
Campus
The origins of the EPFL were in the center of Lausanne. In 1978, the EPFL moved to its new campus in Écublens, a suburb south-west of Lausanne on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman). In 2002 the department of architecure also moved to the campus in Écublens. This united all departments of the EPFL on the same site.
Buildings
The campus consists of about 65 buildings on 55 ha (136 acres). Built according to the growth of the school, the campus englobe different types of architectures:
- Late 70'-80': modularized building, used nowadays by the Schools of Basic Sciences and Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering;
- 90': buildings with institutes from the Schools Engineering Sciences and Techniques, Computer and Communication Sciences and the Scientific Park (PSE);
- Modern: new buildings (2002-2004) with Microengineering, Communications and Architecture institutes and the School of Life Sciences.
EPFL and the nearby University of Lausanne share an active sports center at five minutes from the EPFL campus on the borders of the Leman Lake.
Facilities
Facilities are available on the campus for the students and staff:
- libraries:
- Central Library (BC)
- Architecture (SG)
- Chemistry (DC)
- Computer and Communication Sciences (IC)
- Materials Sciences (DM)
- Physics (DP)
- Mathematics (MA)
- restaurant:
- Le Copernic
- canteens/cafeterias:
- La Coupole
- Le Courbusier
- Le Parmentier
- Le Vinci
- BMX (Bâtiment des Matériaux)
- bar:
- Le Satellite
- travel agencies (SBB-CFF-FFS, STA Travel)
- bank (UBS AG)
Organization
EPFL is organised in seven Schools, themselves formed of Institutes that group research units (laboratories or chairs) around common themes. Studies are organised orthogonally to this structure, into Sections for undergraduate studies and Doctoral Programs for the doctorate.
Faculties and Sections
The EPFL is constituted of the following faculties:
- ENAC (Environnement naturel, architectural et construit – Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering)
- architecture, civil engineering, Environmental Sciences and Engineering (agronomy)
- I&C (Informatique et communications – Computer and Communication Sciences)
- SB (Sciences de base – Basic Sciences)
- mathematics, physics and chemistry
- STI (Sciences et techniques de l'ingénieur – Engineering Sciences and Techniques)
- SV (Sciences de la vie – Life Sciences)
- CdH (Collège des humanités – Sociology and humanities)
- CDM (Collège du Management de la Technologie et Entrepreneuriat – College of Management of Technology)
Students and traditions
Statistics
In 1946, there were 360 students at the EPUL. In 1969, the EPFL numbered 1'400 students and 55 professors. The university continued to grow rapidly, and in 2002, there were 5'872 students enrolled.
In 2004 there are more than 9000 people at the EPFL. About 6000 of these are students, with the remainder consisting of professors, assistants and even entrepreneurs located in the Parc Scientifique of the EPFL. There are over 80 nationalities at the EPFL, with over 50% of the teaching staff coming from outside of Switzerland.
The EPFL have acted as advisors for the Alinghi project, leading to a success at the America's Cup in New Zealand in 2003. The EPFL is also developing a sun-powered glider, Solar Impulse, designed to be completely autonomous (capable of circumnavigation). Bertrand Piccard is the intended pilot for the demonstration of the glider. There is also a sensor network installed in the I&C building called SensorScope which reports live temperature and light measurements.
Notable alumni and project
External links and references
Photographs
 A view of the Piccard Avenue. |
 Inner corridors in the East Center |
 SG Place |
 SG Place |
 the "Biowall" |
 Aerial view" |
Follow this link for a live panoramic view taken with a 360° camera mounted on the I&C building
