The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a research institute and university in Lausanne, Switzerland, specializing in the natural sciences and engineering.

Its roots can be traced back to the foundation of a private school in 1853, which to start with only had 11 students. Those days are long gone though, with the modern day EPFL one of two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and student numbers in Lausanne now totaling over 10,000.

Located in Switzerland, EPFL is one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan science and technology institutions. It welcomes students, professors and collaborators of more than 120 nationalities. EPFL has both a Swiss and international vocation and focuses on three missions: teaching, research and innovation.

EPFL is highly regarded for its research and teaching in engineering. More recently, the university has branched out into the life sciences. It acquired the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in 2008. The university belongs to the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain, a union of research institutes and universities which also includes ETH Zürich. EPFL has coordinated ambitious international research projects, including the Blue Brain Project and the Human Brain Project, attempting to reconstruct mammalian and human brains digitally. The institute is home to a nuclear reactor, a fusion reactor and a Blue Gene/Q supercomputer.

The EPFL campus lies on the shores of Lake Geneva and consists of 65 buildings across 136 acres. Facilities include banks, bars, restaurants and cafeterias. EPFL has several satellite campuses and facilities in Switzerland, and two museums: The Musée Bolo and Archizoom. Another priority on campus is the arts, with the university holding several annual music festivals each year. The largest is Balélec Festival, where 15,000 visitors descend upon the university to watch 30 concerts on two outdoor and four indoor stages.

Life on campus is vibrant, with many student-formed clubs and associations providing social and recreational opportunities. A wide range of sports and leisure facilities keep students physically active while studying. EPFL also has an active student media, publishing the monthly newspaper Flash and there are daily broadcasts on the student radio station.

EPFL collaborates with an important network of partners, including other universities and colleges, secondary schools and gymnasiums, industry and the economy, political circles and the general public, with the aim of having a real impact on society.

Alumni of EPFL include Jacques Dubochet, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and chess grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Source: Internet