History

The Founders

IDHEAP was created as a “Foundation for an Institute of Advanced Studies in Public Administration”. Enrico Bignami, former CEO of Nestlé, was behind this initiative, after having founded - also in Lausanne - the IMEDE, which later became the IMD-International Institute for Management Development. Other founders include the State of Vaud, the University of Lausanne, the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and the Association des Amis de l'IDHEAP.

The foundation Presidents

1981–1988 Olivier Long , Swiss Ambassador, negotiator for the Evian Accords
1988–1997 Pierre Languetin, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank
1997–2004 Arthur Dunkel , Director-General of the GATT (now the World Trade Organisation)
2005–2016 Barbara Haering, former National Councillor, Vice-President of the European Research Area and Innovation Committee

The institute directors

1981–1994 Raimund E. Germann, Professor of Public Administration and Institutional Policy
1995–2002 Peter Knoepfel, Professor of Public Policy and Sustainability
2003–2011 Jean-Loup Chappelet, Professor of Public Management and Information Systems
2012–2016 Martial Pasquier, Professor Public Management and Marketing
2016– 2020 Andreas Ladner, Professor of Swiss Public Administration and Institutional Policy
2021- Prof. Nils Soguel, Public Finance

Four Decades of History

Year	Key Events
1981	Creation of the Foundation on 23 April
1982	Agreement with UNIL (University of Lausanne) and first classes in BFSH1 on 5 October
1983	Opening of the Avenue de Provence Research Centre. Agreement signed with Switzerland’s Federal Personnel Office
1984	Launch of short-term courses for the Canton of Vaud
1987	Recognition by the Swiss Confederation
1990	Cooperation Agreement with the European Institute of Public Administration (IEAP), Maastricht
1991	Teaching moves to semesters. Launch of the Solothurn Seminars on Europe
1992	IDHEAP moves to the Vieux-Collège in Chavannes-près-Renens
1993	Cooperation Agreement with the Swiss Post Office
1994	Creation of the Master of Arts in Public Administration. Launch of the SSC programme (Seminars for Specialists and Managers)
1995	Introduction of doctoral studies via IDHEAP–University of Lausanne
1997	Teaching and research units become autonomous
1998	First doctoral studies in Public Administration completed
1999	Inauguration of the Mouline building annexe
2000	Entry into force of the service agreement between the Canton of Vaud and the Swiss Confederation
2001	Cooperation Agreement with the University of Public Administration in Quebec (ENAP)
2002	Overhaul for the Master of Arts in Public Administration
2003	Teaching moves to trimesters. Cooperation Agreement with the Center of Competence for Public Management at the University of Bern
2004	Launch of the executive DEAP (Executive Diploma in Public Action)
2005	Agreements with the National Institute of Administration (INA) in Lisbon, Portugal, and the Sun Yat Sen University (Zhongshan) in Canton, China
2005	Master of Arts in Public Administration is accredited by the EAPAA (European Association for Public Administration Accreditation)
2005	IDHEAP is accredited by the Conference of Universities of Western Switzerland, following the report by the OAQ (Body for the Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Swiss higher education establishments)
2006	Opening of first courses for the Master of Arts in Public Management and Policy (Master PMP)

2010	Inauguration of the Mouline 28 building
2014	IDHEAP is integrated into the University of Lausanne’s Faculty of Law, Criminal Sciences and Public Administration
2018	Organization of the EGPA annual conference
2021	Ceremony to mark the Institute's 40th anniversary and inauguration of the IDHEAP 40 Exhibition
2022	Inauguration of the Learning Lab, the first at the University of Lausanne
2023	Launch of the IDHEAP Model of Public Administration