Materials: from atoms to properties
Materials are at the very heart of our society’s greatest challenges, from the production and storage of clean energy to water purification, or from safe and sustainable management of transport to environmental protection. Computer simulations reveal the behavior of matter at the atomic scale and are therefore increasingly used in the development of better materials in order to meet such challenges.
The participants will follow courses, take part in practical exercises, and enjoy visits of EPFL labs and installations on campus. Starting from the basics, they will learn about cutting-edge simulation techniques, including molecular dynamics, cellular automata and machine learning. Scientists will guide them in the execution of simple projects related to modelling of materials.
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| Simulation of the growth of a frost crystal. | Frost on the window of a plane. |
Practical information
- Where and when
- July 6-10, 2026 at EPFL (Lausanne)
- Timetable
- The exact times have not yet been determined, but the activities will take place in a time frame from 9:00 to 17:00; a detailed program with the final schedule will be sent to the participants.
- Who
- High school students who have passed their first year.
- Prerequisites
- No prerequisites related to specific option or mathematics level. Prior basic knowledge in programming is recommended. These basics can be acquired independently if necessary (further information below)
- Language
- French
- Material
- Computer provided by EPFL
- Costs
- CHF 50.-
Lunch and any accommodation costs are at the charge of the participants.
Registration fees for high school students from the Canton of Vaud are covered by the Canton of Vaud’s programme PLUS. - Registration
- Registration is open until May 3, 2026.
Each student may register for one pre-university week per school year.
Exceptions may be considered if sufficient places are available. - Contact
- Please contact the Education Outreach Department for any question: [email protected]
Background knowledge
The following basic knowledge in programming is recommended for participation in the camp: variables and assignments, basic operations (arithmetic, logical and comparison), loops and conditions. Interested high school students can acquire this knowledge on their own in just a few hours (half a day) by taking parts 1.2, 1.3 and 2.1, 2.2 of the course Apprenez les bases du langage Python (the rest of part 1 will be discussed during the week).