Leadership-in-Action
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Community engagement and positive impact on society lie at the core of the LiA experience. This project gives scholars the opportunity to engage in initiatives that directly serve under-resourced communities.
Throughout the LiA summer, scholars will step out of their comfort zones to apply their newly acquired leadership skills and change maker values. They will be encouraged to lead by empowering others, engage ethically and create lasting impact in a global environment.
What type of project can you choose?
There are three different types of projects:
A centrally organized expedition that you select from the Laidlaw Foundation’s approved list. You will experience a new and challenging environment alongside scholars from the Laidlaw partner universities.
Here are the available projects for 2025. Please note that the projects may change over the years.
A placement with a mission-driven NGO or social enterprise that makes you work with local agents of change in under-resourced communities to support sustainable impact. A list of approved projects will be shared with scholars in due course.
Alternatively, you can also come up with a proposal in line with your values and interests. In this case, the EPFL Laidlaw Program team will ask for safety and due diligence check to make sure that the project is appropriate and in conformity with the LiA requirements.
You can choose to pursue your first summer research project with a practical and in-field implementation of your work in under-resourced communities (the LiA project cannot be a simple extension of your research work). This experience should aim to create positive change by putting your findings into action while developing your leadership skills.
Scholars are expected to learn through service and foster social change using the transversal skills they have acquired in the Laidlaw Program. The LiA experience is the culmination of the Laidlaw journey: it is an fantastic opportunity to collaborate with local agents of change in under-resourced communities to support sustainable impact in real-world contexts.
The following requirements must be met for the LiA experience:
- Clear and sustainable objectives related to an engagement work that contributes to under-resourced communities (e.g., refugees, a rural population, a group of patients, etc.)
- Field application to allow you to work closely with people on the ground and to lead by empowering others
- New and unfamiliar environment in an international context to get out of your comfort zone and gain different perspectives
- Engage ethically in putting the values and virtues that you have developed through the program into practice
The Leadership-in-Action internship entails…
…experimenting a new and challenging environment
…working with under-resourced communities
…doing something with a positive and sustainable impact
…developing and demonstrating your scientific and leadership skills
…learning through service overseas
Scholars’ testimonials
San Francisco, USA: Esteban, working as an intern in the Billington Lab at Stanford University, aimed to improve community well-being and promote sustainability in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He immersed himself in the community and worked to positively impact both the people and their environment.
Read Esteban’s interview for the Laidlaw Scholars Spotlight.
Rhamna, Morocco: Jordane and Alixe supported the Massarates Project by assisting cooperative groups in overcoming legal and technical hurdles. They focused on making training accessible, despite language and cultural barriers, and were rewarded by seeing a tangible impact in the community.
Read Jordane and Alixe’s internship report.
Partner Institutions
We would like to thank our partners for their support and precious collaboration within the framework of the Laidlaw Program.
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Contact
For further information on the Laidlaw Program, please contact us:
EPFL AVP-E SPE
Centre Midi – CM2 348
Station 10
CH – 1015 Lausanne