s’EPanouir-FLourish Initiative

The s’EPanouir-FLourish initiative kicked off on Wednesday, 19 November. This multi-year initiative is being carried out jointly with students, faculty and section staff in order to update our bachelor’s programs. The goals are to respond to new societal challenges and give students an opportunity to work on cross-disciplinary projects, examine complex problems and exercise their critical thinking skills, right from their very first years at EPFL.

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Restructuring of the People Experience department

The People Experience department within the Vice Presidency for Human Development (VPH-PEXP) will be restructured in the first half of 2026. This move is intended to improve its services and make them more coherent and effective. The new structure will incorporate new teams and expertise while maintaining the direct ties already in place between People Experience representatives and the units within EPFL vice presidencies, schools and colleges. A team will be created specifically for the dual status held by PhD students.

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New Director of the Well-being and Inclusion department

The Vice Presidency for Human Development (VPH) has appointed Ines Ariceta as Director of the Well-being and Inclusion department – a position she has held on an ad interim basis since March 2025. Her appointment was approved unanimously by the selection panel, reflecting the quality of her work and the panel’s confidence in her vision for the department. Ines holds a master’s degree in social and organizational psychology from Columbia University and joined EPFL in 2018 as an HR project manager. She was put in charge of EPFL’s Trust & Support Network in 2022. In her newly confirmed role, Ines will spearhead efforts in 2026 to improve our system for protecting individuals’ personal integrity, in line with the update to EPFL’s directive on psychosocial risks.

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EPFL Management approves future directives

At its meeting on December 16, 2025, EPFL Management approved the revisions to the directives that had been under consultation concerning “the reporting of legally and ethically inappropriate behavior” as well as “the protection of personality and the handling of conflicts.” There were numerous contributions, and their suggestions have been largely integrated into the final version of the directives—for example, the composition of the Executive Committee, which will be more representative of the EPFL community. A public call for tenders for an “External Reporting Office” will be launched in January 2026 and is expected to conclude in July 2026. Implementation of the new system, including the “Trust and Support Office” (initially referred to as “Help Point” in the consultation), is scheduled for January 2027. Until then, the current support and complaints management system remains in effect.

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Campus Piéton project

Under the Campus Piéton project, the main road between Avenue Piccard and Route des Noyerettes will be closed off to traffic in order to leave more room for greenery as well as people and their activities. Public parking spaces have already been removed, and dozens of new potted trees have been set up in the area for subsequent planting. We have launched the final stage of the Campus Piéton request for proposals process; the winning bid for this redevelopment work will be selected in the spring. The designs submitted by all finalists will be put on display in the summer. We’ll keep you posted.

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Demolition work is over, construction will start soon

After an intense summer, the demolition and other specific work for Double Deck has been completed and the project will now enter the construction phase. The demolition went rapidly thanks to expanded working hours, including work on several Saturdays, and the civil protection shelter was able to be dismantled earlier than planned. This achievement shows that everyone on our Lausanne campus was able to adapt to the situation as needed. The construction phase will start with the installation of two cranes and a concrete mixer at the site, which will take place between 5 and 7 January. Route des Noyerettes will be closed as a result.

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EPFL Research Data Support Network

EPFL has launched the EPFL Research Data Support Network (EPFL-RDSN), a new initiative led by the EPFL Library to bring together services and infrastructure from across the institution involved in all stages of the research data lifecycle. This initiative fosters collaboration, visibility and support around research data. Kicked off on 28 October, the network aims to create a framework where service providers can exchange best practices and contribute to a more coherent support ecosystem for EPFL researchers.

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Initiative for Media Innovation

The Initiative for Media Innovation (IMI) will wind down at the end of this year, after nearly eight years of activity. This joint initiative between EPFL, SRG SSR and Triangle Azur (the Universities of Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel) leaves behind a wealth of collaborative projects involving academia, media and society. You can view them all on its website. The Media Center that housed IMI will also close.

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• Campus restaurants: The cafeteria/coffee shop on the Esplanade will permanently close at 3pm on 19 December 2025 to make way for a new restaurant that will open when Double Deck is completed in 2029.
   
• Travel costs: PhD students based at one of our associated campuses – in Geneva, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Sion – who travel to the Lausanne campus to use a Trust and Support Network service can have their travel costs reimbursed.
   
• Health Days event: Don’t miss the many talks and panel discussions now available for streaming online.