[ELSA] #7 – 📣🤝🍕🍻🥤 Welcome BACK Event September 24 2025 – 2 x Consultations – BE HEARD!

Welcome Back – Fall 2025 !

We hope you all enjoyed a refreshing Summer Break!

We already have a full-fledged schedule coming up for Fall 2025.

Our first event, our annual Welcome Event – September 24th. The biggest gathering of the scientific staff (PhD, Postdocs and Scientists)

Get to meet your colleagues again

Hear from EPFL invited speakers (Annalisa Buffa – AVP-Research and Anne-Marie Kermmarec – AVP-Doctoral and Lifelong Education)

Drinks and food!

📣🤝🍕🍻🥤Welcome (Back) Event 2025 – Wednesday September 24th 1730-2030

Are you an EPFL PhD, Postdoc or scientist and learn how the intermediate body (corps intermédiare, PhD, Postdocs, scientists) and EPFL actually works?

Want to network with your fellow colleagues from many different schools and colleges?

Want to get involved on important topics that impact your life directly on campus?

Join the Fun!

WHEN: September 24 2025

WHERE: SV Hall

TIME: 1730 – 2030

Sign UP HERE

Be Heard! – Consultations

EPFL launches Consultations many times per year. Your viewpoints are requested for many changes.

Personnel Commission – YOU voted last year for the creation of a commission that will be responsible for the working interests of the EPFL staff. The Directives for this are up for consultation here (VPN required)

Psychosocial Risks + Whistleblowing – EPFL has proposed new, updated rules that will govern conflict situations, the creation of a help-point, and an office external to EPFL to deal with official complaints. The new directives are for consultation here (VPN required)

Next Events / Workshops / Seminars

💳👨‍⚕️💊 Health Insurance – How to navigate the maze – Sep 30 2025

Join us in this upcoming event where our invited speaker, Mr. Johan Lobmeyer, MBA, presents the Swiss health insurances landscape.
The goal of this seminar is to learn

how does the health insurance system work
terminology: compulsory & supplementary insurance, care models, deductibles etc
how to get unbiased information on prices

With a Q&A session at the end.

When: Tuesday, 30th September 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 (Networking and Question apéro from 18:30)
Where: Online + in-person (EPFL main campus, tbd)
Sign up: fill this form
Questions? contact Clemens

🥪☕️🤝 Fall Networking Lunch for the Scientific Staff – TBD

Come meet your colleagues for a lunch and a coffee in a relaxed environment to share your thoughts and opinions about your work, science and EPFL.

When: tbd
Where: Online + in-person (EPFL main campus, tbd)
Sign up: coming soon.
Questions? contact Kelvin

🧓🏦🤝 Retirement System in Switzerland – Nov 25 2025

Understand how the retirement system in Switzerland works by joining this seminar from Mr. Johan Lobmeyer, MBA.
Topics covered are

terminology: contributions, buy-ins, 3A, vested benefits, pillars+taxes etc
practical guidelines to help you decide if it is worth investing or not
how to simulate your case, and other tips

With a Q&A session at the end.

When: Tuesday, 25th November 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 (Networking and Question apéro from 18:30)
Where: Online + in-person (EPFL main campus, tbd)
Sign up: fill this form
Questions? contact Clemens

👨‍⚖️🏠📝 Immigration and Residence Permits – TBD

Are you an EPFL PhD, Postdoc or scientist and would like to know more about

residency permit types for the intermediate body (PhD, Postdocs, scientists)?
how to find and land that job in Switzerland?
legal status of your residency after the end of your contract?

Fiorella Deshogues, Legal Advisor on Swiss Immigration will give a seminar with a Q&A session at the end.

When: tbd
Where: Online + in-person (EPFL main campus, tbd)
Sign up: coming soon…
Questions? contact Clemens

Open Positions – Volunteers 💪🏽💪🏽

We are looking for Volunteers to help with organization of events, communications and strategy

What you’ll learn : event planning, marketing, year-long strategic planning, communication and negotiating skills

Time commitment < 4 hours per month.

Let us know! Email : Nikita or Kelvin

Past Events

🍖🍗🍻🥤Summer BBQ – Thursday August 14th 1800

Thanks for coming out to the BBQ! Many of your still on campus showed off your electric grilling skills to your colleagues on one of the hottest days of the year!

🥪☕️🤝Networking Lunch for the Scientific Staff – July 14th 2025

Thanks for all those that attended, we covered the structure of how EPFL and our associations are structured. Thank you for all your comments. Next edition will be held in Fall! Stay Tuned