External speaker guide

The Department of Information Systems (DeSI) helds meetings on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and routinely hosts speakers from a range of disciplines and backgrounds. 

The audience at our lab talks is relatively diverse, although anchored by a common interest in Information Systems and Computer Science. Members have a range of backgrounds including Information Systems, Computer Science, Humanities, Sociology, and Psychology. It’s OK for a talk to not be technical or “academic”, or about a subject not listed above — we seek a diverse range of talks!

Top links:

• Submit information about your talk
• You can view a list of upcoming talks online
• We also maintain an archive of all past lab talks

Unless otherwise agreed, lab meetings are held on Tuesdays at 12:15pm in room NEF-237, on 2nd floor of Internef Building, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.

By airplane

We recommend landing in Geneva for a smoother commute to UNIL. From the airport, go to the airport train station (Genève-Aéroport, 5 min. walk from arrivals). Most of the trains departing from there stop in Lausanne (Lausanne Gare). There are plenty of screenboards for you to check the timetables. You can also check this link for the train timetables. 

By public transportation (metro) from the Lausanne or Renens train station

From the train station in Lausanne (Lausanne Gare), take the M2 metro line to the Lausanne-Flon station (exit the train station by the main entrance on the north side, and you should see the metro station, accessible by foot).

From there, the metro line M1 takes you from the center of Lausanne (Lausanne-Flon station) to UNIL-Chamberonne (direction Renens Gare). 

You can also access the M1 metro line from the Renens train station if your train stops there, and take it to UNIL-Chamberonne (direction Lausanne-Flon).

By car

On the highway, follow direction "Lausanne-Sud" and exit at "UNIL". then follow the signs.

To enter the Internef building check the map below.

The length of your talk should be a maximum of 30-35 minutes, plus we allow for an additional 10 minutes or so for questions. Attendees typically eat after a lab meeting, so please try to keep to time as you will be between them and their food.

Briefly give us some context as to why you are visiting / speaking at DeSI at the start of your talk or get your host to introduce you. Explain what you want to get out of the talk / your visit:

• Are you looking for a collaboration on a project?
• People to discuss an idea with?
• Do you have something to offer to the lab?

How many people will attend my talk?

Anywhere between 10 and 35 people attend talks, and there are so many factors that influence this. Unfortunately this means it's impossible to predict how many will attend any specific talk.

Do I have to give a talk with slides?

No, we've had lots of different types of "talks". Some people adopt a more workshop approach, some people prefer to have a discussion, some don't use a presentation. The time is yours to use as you feel most beneficial.

Do talks have to take the full 30-35 minutes?

No, and it's better to give a shorter talk than one which over runs your time. Remember, you are between people and their food! We can give prompts on time if you wish.

Do you have a projector?

Yes, we have a projector for presentations. We have VGA and HDMI cables but if your laptop has a different adapter please bring it with you.

We also have dedicated speakers, connected to using an auxiliary cable (which we can provide). Please remember to bring the charger for your laptop and possibly the adapter to the Swiss electric plug.

Do you have an adapter to connect my laptop?

Possibly some members may have the right adapter, but we can't guarantee this. Please bring any adapters you need with you just in case.

I want to also meet someone in the Department before/after my talk. Can you help?

You should contact the member of staff directly. Their details can be found in the people directory.

Can I claim expenses for my visit? If so, what can I claim?

1. We will reimburse your travel costs in economy class from your workplace location to UNIL and back.
2. We are able to reimburse your trip from within EU but we might not have budget if you are coming from other continents. Please discuss this with the person who invited you.
3. If you need lodging, we will be happy to pay your hotel for 1 night in Lausanne. We have a number of hotels that work with us and that are well connected with UNIL. If you need lodging, send an email to Sarah.Duplan@unil.ch;
4. We will reimburse the train from Geneva to Lausanne and back in economy class. 
5. Please keep all original receipts and boarding passes. We will need these for the paperwork.
6. After the event, please mail all your original receipts together with this form duly signed to:

    Ms. Sarah Duplan

    University of Lausanne

    Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC)

    CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

7. Please make a copy of your receipts in case something gets lost.
8. Please note that we do not reimburse taxis nor parkings (at airports or elsewhere).

We typically record the talks and publish them on the YouTube channel of the Department. The day of your talk we will ask you to sign a video release form.

Please make sure you provide a title, abstract, a short biography (i.e. at least a couple of sentences) some time before your talk so we can advertise it.

Link to submit information about your talk

We have to capture and retain certain information about all talks given in the lab for legal reasons, including your job title and current workplace, therefore it is imperative that you complete this step.

We are required by law to record details about your talk several weeks before it happens.

As a research group, we are typically able to reimburse economy class travel and subsistence expenses within EU. You should retain all receipts for your travel and complete the form below.

• After the event, please mail all your original receipts together with this form duly signed to:

Ms. Sarah Duplan

University of Lausanne

Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC)

CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

• Please make a copy of your receipts in case something gets lost.

Forms from the Finance website