2,071 new students take their first steps at EPFL
© 2018 EPFL / Jamani Caillet
The Welcome Day for new students was held at EPFL’s SwissTech Convention Center this past Friday. President Martin Vetterli offered some advice to those set to embark on five years of study this coming Tuesday.
What’s the key to success at EPFL? “Work hard, play hard.” At least that’s the advice EPFL President Martin Vetterli gave to this year’s freshman class at the Welcome Day this past Friday.
He encouraged the over 2,000 new students to jump whole-heartedly into their studies starting on Tuesday, telling them “you’ll get a lot out of it, provided you put a lot into it.” But he also reminded them that EPFL “is a place where you can have a lot of fun – as you’ll soon find out!” He ended his welcome address by saying he looks forward to seeing them again at the same place five years from now, for the graduation ceremony.
Another speaker at the event was Pierre Vandergheynst, Vice President for Education, who noted that, in addition to more than 10,000 students at EPFL from 120 different countries, there are nearly 6,000 staff members. He said this means students can count on a wide range of support services to help guide them through their degree programs.
After the opening remarks, the freshmen were taken on a lighthearted tour of the campus by section coaches.
Watch interviews of students at the Welcome Day (in French)
