EPFL in Lausanne and ETH in Zurich took first and second place respectively in this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of the world’s most international universities. The University of Geneva captured the 6th slot, tied with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
Times Higher Education regularly publishes comparisons of universities worldwide. Its latest ranking considers the international outlook of higher education institutions, including the proportion of international students, faculty members and research co-authors, as well as global reputation metrics.
EPFL known for life sciences
According to the magazine, it is no surprise that Switzerland is home to the most international university in the world, given that it is surrounded by five countries (France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein) and situated in the heart of Europe. EPFL has a particularly strong reputation in engineering, with 13 engineering science programs. More recently, it has become known for its work in the life sciences. It has coordinated ambitious international research projects, including the Blue Brain Project and the Human Brain Project. Among its alumni is Jacques Dubochet, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
EPFL students are given numerous opportunities to participate in exchange programs with other universities in Switzerland and abroad. The school also offers an internship scheme for students enrolled at other internationally acclaimed universities to spend up to three months at one of its campus laboratories.
EPFL has several satellite campuses and facilities in Western Switzerland. In Fribourg, EPFL develops its activities in the fields of technology, construction and sustainable architecture. In Geneva, EPFL researchers based in Campus Biotech are active in the areas of biotechnology, neuroscience and neuroprosthetics. Neuchâtel hosts an important part of EPFL's Microengineering Institute. In Sion, the EPFL Valais Wallis campus focuses on scientific research in the fields of energy, health and the environment.
