Organisation

The University of Lausanne is a leading cantonal institution.

It promotes living knowledge through 7 faculties focused on life sciences, humanities and social sciences as well as environmental sciences.

Led by a Rector, the Rectorate has five other members, responsible for the deanships of research, teaching, sustainability, careers and society, human resources and finance. The Rectorate draws up a plan of intentions detailing its objectives for a five-year period; discussed with the Council of State, it is adopted by the Grand Council of Vaud in the form of a strategic plan, currently 2017-2021.

A General Secretariat oversees various central services essential to the smooth running of UNIL and its faculties, such as the Guidance and Careers Service, the Teaching Support Centre, the Language Centre, the UNIL-EPFL Foundation for Continuing Education, the Equality Office and units such as the Graduate Campus serving doctoral students.

The faculties are located on three sites: the Dorigny campus by the lake, the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) in the centre of Lausanne and the life science and innovation hub in Epalinges just North of it. They have their own specific history, but all of them offer teaching based on cutting-edge research. The interactions between them are numerous. In 2018 the Rectorate has launched several Interdisciplinary Centres to stimulate cross-disciplinary research in key areas.

Faculty of Biology and Medicine is spread over the three sites. In Dorigny, the Chamberonne district is home to Theology and the Sciences of Religion, Arts and HEC. The Mouline district is home to the Social and Political Sciences as well as Geosciences and Environment. Finally, the Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration can be found in the Chamberonne, Mouline and Sorge districts.

Working at UNIL is not about being tied to a single laboratory or a single department, or embedded in one approach, however inspiring it may be, but being part of a vast community, the Lausanne hub, and the opportunity to take advantage of national and international networks, career prospects, to benefit from training and to be able to take advantage of the very rich sporting and cultural offer. It also means having the opportunity, whatever your profession, to take part in the running and management of the institution, by being elected to a Faculty Council, the UNIL Council (Parliament), the Copers (Staff Committee) or a whole series of advisory committees (e.g. the Equality Committee) and associations.

The University of Lausanne is not a closed environment: it opens up multiple possibilities to everyone in its highly diverse community.