Courses for committee members of student associations recognized by EPFL

By Mathias Geuther,  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 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 September 17, 2026
(seats reserved : associations registered for the Associations’ Week, one member per association)
-> I register

Thursday October 8, 2026 -> I register

Tuesday October 27, 2026 -> I register

Thursday November 12, 2026 -> I register

20 students maximum per course

By Bruno Descloux, ElectroSuisse
with the participation of Lionel Fleury, Electricity Group EPFL

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 courses :

Wednesday September 9, 2026

Monday October 12, 2026 -> I register

20 students maximum per course

By Melissa Muratovic, mandate manager with federal patent

Module 1 – Tuesday October 6 2026 – 6.15 to 9 pm
Module 2 – Tuesday October 13 2026 – 6.15 to 9 pm
–> I register

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 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

Wednesday October 28, 2026 from 5.30 to 8 pm -> I register

20 students maximum per course

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 in October/November 2026
Registrations from September 15

20 students maximum per course

Conducted in French, with course materials in English

The goal of this workshop is to provide you with the knowledge and practical tools you need to optimize your outreach efforts to potential sponsors.

Through testimonials and concrete examples, you will learn to better understand sponsors’ expectations and respond to them effectively, while adhering to the prospect review process and EPFL’s sponsorship guidelines.

Personalized feedback on your sponsoring proposal

The final part of the workshop will be dedicated to providing personalized feedback on your sponsorship proposals.

You’ll have the opportunity to submit your proposal to our coaches, who will provide personalized feedback on the day of the workshop. If there is high demand, an appointment can be scheduled at a later date.

Workshop agenda

• Sabine Demerlé, Partnership Relations – Employability and Development Center
  • What kind of benefits related to event organization are available to your sponsors
• Maurine Phelouzat, Due Diligence Senior Officer
  • Due diligence & sponsoring : anticipating risks, protecting your association’s reputation
• Chiara Ciriminna, Philanthropy Manager et Axel Debry, Senior Liaison Coordinator – Philanthropy
  • The keys to successful sponsor solicitation
• Personalized feedback for associations that have submitted an application

Next workshop

Thursday October 29, 2026, from 17.30 to 19.00 –> register here

Would you like feedback on your proposal ?

Associations interested in discussing their sponsorship proposal with our coaches are invited to send their project to [email protected] in a document no longer than 2 pages, including the following information:

• 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

Submission deadline : Thursday, October 15, 2026

Individual sessions with the coaches will take place on Thursday, October 29, starting at 19:00 following the workshop, or during a meeting to be scheduled at a later date.