Semaine d’Écologie en Mouvement et des Imaginaires Souhaitables (SEMIS, formerly CSAW)

2025 SEMIS (in French only)

The 2025 edition of SEMIS will take place from 1-5 September 2025, during the week preceding the start of the fall semester.

Who it’s for

SEMIS is for all EPFL Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students, in any field of study.

SEMIS organizers

Each edition of SEMIS is co-created and run by a team of students and staff members from EPFL and UNIL.

Important informations :

• Attendance : registration is for all 5 days.
• Location : partly at SPOT (EPFL) and partly (from Tuesday to Thursday) in a chalet in St-Georges (1h from Lausanne).
• Schedule : 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in general.
• Language : French.
• Meals : meals for the 5 days will be vegetarian and vegan.
• Cost : a financial contribution of CHF 30 is required. This price should not be an obstacle: if you have any financial worries, please let us know on the registration form.
• Limited places : 30 people allocated on a “first confirmed, first served” basis.
• Confirmation of registration : as soon as the form has been completed and the participation fee paid.

 > Register here <

Contact (please don’t hesitate!): [email protected]

Information sessions are scheduled for May 13 and 15 from 12:15 to 1:00 pm in BCH 41 08 or in zoom.

The SEMIS 2025 program (in French) :

On the program:

• Questioning our roles as engineers and researchers, and reflecting on our professional path with regard to sustainability issues, through surveying (a collective reading and popular education method), and workshops to reflect on our careers (ikigai, Archimedes’ oath, etc.).
• Take a long-term, systemic approach to the challenges of strong sustainability, and understand the mechanisms involved through immersive, reflective and interactive workshops, such as a deep time walk, systemic games, etc.
• Experience tools for collaboration, facilitation and collective intelligence, such as co-development or open forum, and understand the role of emotions in transition, with, for example, the 7 generations dialogue, image theater, etc.
• Live a powerful human experience of community living, creating relationships to support each other, through collective games, dream circles, game and movie nights, etc.
• Develop empowering visions and imaginations for action, notably through the co-creation of mini projects based on burning questions.

This video (in French) describes CSAW in a nutshell: active participants, a cooperative spirit, creative thinking, open dialogue and an array of fresh ideas.

The topic and schedule of the event change each year.

Previous editions

96% of participants said that CSAW helped them understand the benefits of a cross-disciplinary approach to tackle complex problems.

84% thought that CSAW enabled them to develop a more systemic view of sociological, scientific and engineering problems.

92% agreed that their learning at CSAW complemented what they were studying in their regular classes.

96% agreed that they developed skills at CSAW that complemented what they were studying in their regular classes.

Feedback from 2023 participants

Gives hope, resilience and energy

• “I don’t think I’ve ever been so satisfied and grateful to have been able to participate in an event, everything was extremely timely and enriching. I leave this week filled with energy, hope and tools!”
• “Incredible! An initiative that does an enormous amount of good. I feel like it was group therapy and a rite of passage. You gave us essential tools for life and directions for living.”
• “CSAW gave me incredible energy and hope and, above all, I was able to make some beautiful friendships! An invaluable way to start my year.”
• “I really liked it because you leave with tools to get involved and it gives you a lot of hope.”
• “I feel, for the first time in a long time, optimistic. I feel that transition is possible and that the collective uprising is coming.”
• “CSAW is growing in me the will to engage professionally in sustainability, and to share tools with external people. I have a lot of ideas and inspiration that have emerged.”

Develops competencies complementary to the curriculum & develops strong bonds

• “There are a lot of things you learn and experience that you wouldn’t otherwise learn, and which are essential in any professional or personal field.”
• “The most important thing for me was learning how to live in a group; the facilitation tools, and also the strong bonds created.”
• “I loved this week, which taught me so much and opened my mind. I’m coming away with new skills and know-how. The group cohesion was incredible. ”
• “It was really an incredible experience humanly with great attention paid to creating a safe space.”
• “I was very impressed by the strong bond between the participants, it was possible thanks to the incredible facilitation!”