Courses for committee members of student associations recognized by EPFL

By Sidney Picenni,  GastroSuisse

In order to ensure the purchase, storage, handling and distribution of foodstuffs without risk, in order to reassure you and provide you with the skills necessary for your associative activity, this training will review the important subjects in relation to food law and regulations.

This training is mandatory for any event organized by a student association where food is offered.

Conditions of participation: To participate, you must be an elected member of a steering committee of a student association acknowledged by EPFL. No more than one person per committee will be accepted.

A personal certificate valid for the association committee will be issued at the end of the course. This certificate must be presented in order to obtain authorization from EPFL for the event.

Duration : 3 hours, from 5.15 to 8.15 pm

Next courses : 
Thursday February 19, 2026 -> I register
Thursday March 12, 2026 –> I register
Thursday March 26, 2026 -> I register

20 students maximum per course

By Dominique Rouiller, ElectroSuisse

This training seminar is compulsory for anyone having to set up a substantial electrical distribution as part of their associative activities. No event requiring this type of intervention will be authorized without a committee member being recognized as a “personne instruite” within the meaning of OICF, art 3, ch. 20. This qualification is obtained at the end of the seminar by validation of prior learning attested by the certificate issued at the end of the course.

The seminar will give you an overview of the legal obligations to be respected and will address the risks and dangers of electrical installations. The training has been designed to give you the best practices to apply during your events (drawing outlets, setting up booths and sets, intervention in electrical panels, simple troubleshooting, and protective measures).

Duration: 3h, from 17h15 to 20h15

Next course : Wednesday February 18, 2026 -> I register

20 students maximum per course

By Astrid Berger Tombet, PCC Coach & CSMC Mediator

This interactive workshop is designed to help participants improve their communication skills and recognise the warning signs of conflict.

Participants are encouraged to bring real life situations where they have encountered communication difficulties or even conflict.

Workshop objectives :

• Understand the fundamental principles of caring communication
• Acquire practical skills to communicate constructively
• Identify the early signs of conflict in interpersonal relationships
• Discover conflict management techniques

This workshop offers participants the opportunity to discover and practise essential skills for building positive relationships. They will leave with a better understanding of communication dynamics and practical tools to improve their day-to-day interactions.

Duration : 2.5 hour

Next workshop : 
Monday March 2, 2026 – 5.30 to 8 pm -> I register

20 students maximum per course

By Melissa Muratovic, mandate manager with federal patent

Module 1 –Thursday October 9, 2025 – 6.15 to 9 pm
Module 2 –Thursday October 16, 2025 – 6.15 to 9 pm

You can register for the 2 modules, or only for module 2 if module 1 already done.

Module 1  Introduction to accounting
Module 1 will be devoted to understanding the fundamentals of accounting.
The aim of this evening will be to understand how accounting works, to learn the basic principles and the need to keep accounts correctly.

Module 2 Going further
This module is an extension of module 1.
This evening will also be devoted to organisation in accounting (software, Excel sheets), as well as the various key processes.
There will also be a section on the budgeting process and cash flow planning.
The aim is to understand the documents that need to be sent to EPFL in order to maintain the recognition that all EPFL associations must complete and the application for subsidies.

Only students who have followed modules 1 and 2 of the accounting course will receive a course certificate.

By François Türk, consultant in association management at Bénévolat Vaud

This training course will enable you to discover the specificities of association governance and its proper management in relation to both legal requirements and EPFL directives. In particular, we will look at how the various bodies operate and the role of the committee. To prepare, you will be invited to watch an introductory video. You will then be able to ask any technical questions during the course. You will then be offered a framework for collective reflection to guide you through the real challenges you face as a committee member. The aim is to ensure the sustainability of your projects and to gain pleasure and skills for your future!

Training plan :

• Answering questions on aspects of governance and administration in connection with the presentation to be viewed beforehand.
• Collective reflection on the issues raised by the participants.

Duration : 1.5 hours

Next course : 

Tuesday October 28, 2025 – from 17h15 to 18h45 
20 students maximum per course

Presented in French with English support by Céline Bellier from the EPFL Philanthropy Service.

This workshop will provide you with a range of useful knowledge for creating a successful sponsorship dossier.

It will outline the ‘guidelines to follow’ when approaching a sponsor and provide the key do’s and don’ts for finding sponsors for your student projects and/or events.

With testimonials and practical exercises, this lively workshop will help you to better understand and respond to a sponsor’s expectations while respecting the EPFL’s guidelines on the subject.

If you wish, you can also submit your draft application to our coaches, who will give you personalised feedback on the day of the workshop. Submission deadline is 2 weeks before the workshop at the latest.

If you would like to submit a project proposal, please send a one-page draft to [email protected] containing the following points:

• Project description: what, when, where, why, how many participants, timetable
• Team: who are you?
• Budget: total funding required, what are you looking for (e.g. in cash, in kind, etc.) and any partnerships already confirmed?
• Benefits: list the benefits you are prepared to offer in return for specific financial support
• Action plan: a general idea of how you would like to obtain funds – contacts, prospects, by e-mail, telephone / Zoom, in person.

Duration of the workshop : 2 hours

Next workshop:

Tuesday October 7, 2025 – from 17h30 to 19h30 –> I register

This workshop, in English, is facilitated by Helena Kovacs from CCTC. 

In response to requests from several associations, we are pleased to announce a new workshop, organized in collaboration with the Transversal Skills and Career Center. This course will be dedicated to helping your association define and set clear goals.

At the end of the workshop, you will be able to :

• think strategically when setting up short- and long-term goals
• prioritize and sequence objectives
• identify key resources and stakeholders
• anticipate challenges and plan for risks
• establish realistic and accountable indicators

For maximum efficiency, we require a minimum of 2 members from each association committee to participate to the workshop.

This workshop will take place with a min. of 10 participants.

By using pratical tools and participating in group activities, you will build a shared roadmap to support meaningful impact of your work.

Next workshop : 
– Monday September 29, 2025 from 17.30 to 19.30 (2 hours) –> I register