Engineering school (EPUL - EPFL)

For a long time, people tried to understand the world around them through philosophy. Gradually, the "honest man", born of Christianity, replaced the philosopher with the arrival of modern science. This new man wanted to grasp the world, to understand its profound mechanisms and to quantify them in order to use it more effectively for his own ends[1]. From then on, the nineteenth century pitted the scientist against the industrialist, who spoke different languages. The former possesses the knowledge and insights of science, while the latter exploits them. It was essential to create a link between the two: the engineer. We now want to avoid radically separating the pure sciences from their applications. Practical courses were therefore created. Engineering was born in the nineteenth century, but reached its golden age in the twentieth century.[2]

A special school for industry, public works and civil construction in French-speaking Switzerland opened its doors in Lausanne on 7 November 1853. Until then, young Swiss people who wanted to pursue a career in higher technical fields had to go abroad. Five men were behind this project, inspired by the model of the Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris. They were: Jean Gay, rector of the Academy, Henri Bischoff, pharmacist, Louis Rivier, chemical engineer, Jules Marguet, construction engineer and Pierre-Joseph Marguet, engineer. The Ecole spéciale is a private establishment whose aim is to provide the theoretical and practical knowledge required by young people intending to work in industry, public works and civil construction. Schooling lasted two years and was extended to three years from 1855. When it opened, 11 pupils were taught by 5 teachers. These teachers, the true pillars of the new institution, were all the more proud to have created their own school, as this was the beginning of a lively academic debate;A lively university debate focused on the creation of a Swiss University and Polytechnic, as envisaged in Article 22 of the 1848 Constitution. A commission of experts was appointed and agreement seemed to have been reached to create a university in Zurich and a polytechnic in French-speaking Switzerland. In 1854, the National Council voted to create the two universities, but against all expectations adopted a proposal to establish them both in Zurich. The political opposition was so fierce that the project for a federal university was shelved as a utopian dream.

In 1855, the first university in Switzerland was founded in Zurich.

In 1855, the Zurich Polytechnic opened, while the Ecole spéciale in Lausanne had already awarded five certificates. The growing number of students requires the construction of a new building. It was inaugurated in 1858 on the rue de la Tour. In 1863, twenty or so lines in English were added to the school's syllabus with the aim of attracting foreign students. This was Lausanne's first known academic advertising campaign. It is true that the private status of the school obliges it to be self-financing. A welcome subsidy from the State came as early as 1865. In 1869, the Law on Public Education settled the financial question once and for all by attaching the School to the University, under the name of Technical Faculty. The annual student tax was increased from 500 francs (around 5500 francs today) to 150 francs.

The law of 1869 separates the humanities and sciences into two separate faculties. The Académie now had five. When it became a university in 1890, the technical faculty was renamed the School of Engineering. Like pharmacy from 1881, it became part of the Faculty of Science. The colleges enjoyed greater independence than the sections, which was reinforced in the case of the Ecole d'ingénieurs by the fact that it was geographically distant from the University. Four departments define the fields of study: civil engineering, industrial mechanics, industrial electricity and chemistry.

The personalities who drove the first years of the Faculté technique were numerous. First and foremost were the Marguets, father and son. Jean-Pierre, the father, was involved in railway studies from Paris to England and gave his name to a bridge in Boulogne-sur-mer. His son, Jules, studied in Paris and went on to become a prominent figure in Lausanne, gaining a political audience and becoming Director of the Faculté Technique. Benjamin Mayor introduced the methods of static graphics in space. Adrien Palaz, a leading figure, initiated the construction of tramways in Lausanne, participated in the city's electrification and oversaw the construction of the Pierre-de-Provence factories; the construction of the Pierre-de-Plan factories and the Frasnes Vallorbe line with the Mont d'Or tunnel; he interrupted his career in Lausanne to leave to manage Energie électrique du Sud-Ouest and Energie électrique du littoral mémerranéen in France.

In 1903, as the canton of Vaud celebrated its centenary, the Ecole d'ingénieurs celebrated its half-century. It was governed by the Règlement of 1896, which remained in force until 1924. In 1919, Jean Landry took over from Adrien Palaz, who had left for France. Landry remained director until his death in 1940. His name remains closely associated with the construction of the Dixence dam, of which he was the instigator and kingpin. The Landry era was a difficult one, marked by economic gloom and a decline in the number of students (from 299 to 139). In 1929, a donation from former director Auguste Dommer enabled a fund to be set up to support the Materials, Hydraulics and Engineering Laboratory. Alfred Stucky, a tireless builder of barges, succeeded Landry and headed the school from 1940 to 1963. The era was one of economic prosperity, and the school grew to over 1,000 students. In 1942 it moved from Rue de la Tour to the Cèdres site on Avenue de Cour. Its independence was significant and the school's syllabus was no longer included in that of the University.

The school was founded in the midst of the Second World War.

At the height of the war, in June 1943, thanks to the support of Paul Peret, head of the DIPC, the Canton decided to create a School of Architecture and Town Planning attached to UNIL. The latter was not consulted. Faced with a fait accompli, it has expressed its concerns. The School of Architecture will be attached to the School of Engineering. Both were directed by Alfred Stucki. The creation of this school led to a merger with the Faculty of Science a few years later.

In 1946, the Schools of Engineering and Architecture were formally reunited under the name Ecole polytechnique de l'Université de Lausanne (EPUL). Their autonomous status was officially recognised. Maurice Cosandey took over as director in 1963 and made research a strategic focus for the school. He was one of the architects of the establishment of the Haute Ecole. At that time, the Conseil d’Etat created the Commission Failletaz, whose mission was to conduct a comprehensive study of the University. It produced a report that highlighted the need to rebuild the University from scratch in a suitable location. The Canton buys the Dorigny estate. From 1964, EPUL gradually moves to the Ecublens site. In August 1966, the Canton of Geneva proposed that the Confederation take over the school. The project received the support of Federal Councillor Hans-Peter Tschudi. In January 1969, EPUL became EPFL. It was organised into nine departments: physics, mathematics, materials, architecture, civil engineering, rural engineering, engineering, electricity and chemistry. The EPFL had to take on courses that had previously been taught at the UNIL, such as mathematics, chemistry and physics. Some professors are reluctantly leaving the Alma Mater to join the EPFL. The salaries, which are higher at the Confederation than in the canton, will nonetheless be an effective balm on certain self-esteem wounds.

Olivier Robert - UNIRIS 2014

[1] François Pruvot, «EPFL 125 ans», in Libres Propos, Lausanne: Imprimerie vaudoise, May, 1978, p. 5.

[2] Idem.