Company Profile
University of Lausanne
Company Overview
UNIL: Diversity, Innovation, and Global Engagement
Staying true to its spirit of innovation and openness to the world, UNIL offers its approximately 17,000 students a rich and varied education. Its pursuit of excellence and international openness allow the University of Lausanne to provide a rigorous and prolific scientific environment for the nearly 3,000 researchers working there.
UNIL has seven faculties that form its backbone: Business and Economics, Arts, Theology and Religious Studies, Social and Political Sciences, Law and Criminal Sciences, Biology and Medicine, and Geosciences and Environment, with the last three being unique in Switzerland.
With this diversity, UNIL places a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity. Several original programs represent this approach, such as: the Master’s in Forensic Sciences, the Master’s in Behavior, Evolution and Conservation, the Interfaculty Master’s in Law, Crime, and Security of New Technologies, and the Master’s in Public Policy and Management.
Collaboration and exchange are at the heart of UNIL's academic mission, and one-third of the Master's programs offered are joint programs with other Swiss higher education institutions. The University of Lausanne has made exchange a cornerstone and hosts an international network of scientists and students. Nearly 128 nationalities contribute to the vibrant and evolving UNIL community.
Company History
The University of Lausanne was founded in 1537. It was initially intended for the training of pastors. As the only French-speaking Protestant theology school at the time, it enjoyed significant prestige.
Over the centuries, the number of chairs increased, and the curriculum diversified. In 1890, the Academy was granted the name and status of a university.
In 1970, the university gradually moved from the center of Lausanne to Dorigny. The end of the 20th century saw a major cooperation and development project between the universities of Lausanne, Geneva, Neuchâtel, and EPFL. In 2003, two new faculties were established with the goal of focusing on humanity and life sciences: the Faculty of Biology and Medicine and the Faculty of Geosciences and Environment.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Nobel laureates from UNIL: The latest is Jacques Dubochet, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His research at the University of Lausanne, assisted by his team, led to the discovery of water vitrification. In other words, water is cooled so rapidly that it freezes without having time to crystallize. Its contents - cells, viruses, proteins, etc. - remain intact, unaffected by ice expansion (a bit like suddenly stopping the film of life). In all, six winners of the prestigious prize have spent all or part of their studies and/or careers at UNIL.
Benefits
We offer a pleasant working atmosphere in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. There are possibilities for continuing professional education and a multitude of activities and other benefits to discover.