The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a public research university located in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was established as a private school under the name “École Spéciale de Lausanne” in 1853 at the initiative of Lois Rivier, a graduate of the École Centrale Paris and John Gay, the then professor and rector of the Académie de Lausanne. Nowadays, it is a mid-sized academic institution. However, despite its size, its reputation and international relevance are immense: EPFL is one of the most research-intensive universities in the world, and it is ranked among the very best ones, with an astonishing 14th position in the QS World University Rankings. It operates a nuclear reactor CROCUS, a Tokamak Fusion reactor, a Blue Gene/Q Supercomputer and P3 bio-hazard facilities.
