Hello !
I am Mathilde, a first-year student in Mechanical Engineering at EPFL in Switzerland. Driven by curiosity, I am passionate about where science meets art and medicine, especially when engineering can help heal, create and inspire.
As a Laidlaw Scholar, I look forward to developing both my research and leadership skills to turn ideas into meaningful impact.
This summer, I'm doing my research internship at the BION Lab, where we develop biomedical systems that interact with the human body to support healthcare innovation.
When I'm not studying, you'll find me swimming, reading or spending time with friends.
I always appreciate meeting new people so feel free to reach out !
I am currently doing my physics Bachelor at EPFL.
Čau! I come from Latvia, a small but mighty country on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Before pursuing engineering, I was actively engaged in Green politics and environmental activism. This experience made me realise how disconnected the pillars of science, policy, and society are; hence, I took it upon myself to try and change that. I’ve been studying Environmental engineering and sciences at EPFL, Switzerland, for 2 years and hope to be in this field for many more to come.
For my research internship, I am working on detecting and reducing bias in atmospheric pH modelling, and during my LiA project, I wish to work with communities directly affected by climate change.
In my free time, I love to do pole dancing, calisthenics, and photography! I also reeeeaaaaly enjoy sleeping bahhaha and intentionally slowing down :)
Youness Robert-Tahiri
MSocSci Psychology Candidate (Laidlaw Scholars Alumnus), University of Cape Town
Hello! I recently graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology Research from the University of Toronto. I’m passionate about youth mental health and how humour can be used to support resilience after adversity.
My Summer 1 research project explored the relationship between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation — deepening my understanding of the psychological impacts of early trauma.
In Summer 2, I led a Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated a comedy-based mental health program for teens.
That experience led me to found HaHaHelps — an organization that uses improv comedy to support youth mental health through accessible, community-led workshops. I am currently conducting a feasibility study of the program in South Africa as part of my master’s dissertation in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, with plans to expand to more communities globally.
Please feel free to connect :)
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/younessrobert-tahiri
Email: youness@hahahelps.org
Hi everyone,
I'm an undergraduate Materials Science student at EPFL. Alongside engineering, I've picked up some economics and law, mostly because I wanted to understand not just how something works technically, but what it takes for it to actually get used.
As a Laidlaw Scholar, I'm building a simulation model of the global carbon-fibre value chain, looking at realistic, costed paths to net zero by 2050. It touches materials, energy and finance at once, which is the kind of problem I like working on.
I try to take leadership seriously, mostly as following through on what you're responsible for. I co-led a water management project in Nyon that got funding from the Rotary Club and was implemented with local authorities, worked on a documentary about migration policy, debated in Model United Nations, and tutor students.
I also spent nine months travelling, which made me more comfortable in unfamiliar situations. Outside the lab, I'm usually in the mountains or with a camera.
Always glad to talk about anything.
Cheers!
Originally from France, I moved to Switzerland to complete my Bachelor's in Microtechnology at EPFL.
I am bilingual in French and English.
I am driven by robotics and technology research grounded in ethics, ecological sobriety, and real-world social value.
I prefer to focus on meaningful engineering rather than tech hype.
With passions spanning humanities, arts, and outdoor sports, I bring a well-rounded perspective to collaborative leadership and purpose-driven projects.
Hi everyone, I'm Dan-Thi and I am the Laidlaw Program Manager at EPFL. I've been working for more than 10 years in the higher education industry and I love all aspects related to my work, but especially the interactions with the students, helping and seeing them grow personally and professionally.
I've lived in fast-paced environments in Asia (Hong Kong, Japan) and I'm now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. I enjoy travelling and always looks for discovering new cultures!
Please get in touch if you want to discuss about anything regarding food, sport and travel, or if you want to have more information about EPFL and studying there! :o)
Chemical engineering student at EPFL
Hi, I'm Itiafa Ayeni, a sophomore from Nigeria at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar. I major in International Politics with minors in Africana Studies and a certificate in Energy Studies. I am also pursuing the French proficiency academic pathway.
My academic interests are deeply shaped by my experience growing up in Nigeria and center on Africa’s future, the place of identity, and the advancement of women and girls globally.
This summer, I will be researching how 'Y2K' Nollywood (the formative period of Nigeria’s film industry spanning the 1990s and early 2000s) influenced the women who contributed to and consumed it, across a representative social circle that includes actresses and women in the diaspora.
Mathematics researcher at EPFL, Laidlaw Scholar, and systems optimizer. I specialize in formalizing mathematics in Lean 4 (currently researching with Fields Medalist Prof. Maryna Viazovska) and building high-performance software.
I don't just study systems; I look for their underlying logic to optimize them. My recent work ranges from deploying production software that uses Max-Plus algebra to reduce event logistics complexity to , to building decentralized parametric insurance on the blockchain and coding real-time cognitive analysis AI pipelines.
With a background in local politics (former Town Councilor) and a certification in behavioral psychology (PCM), I am fascinated by the intersection of human behavior and pure logic. When I'm not writing proofs or coding, you can find me rowing or trying to teach Lean 4 to my grandmother.
Hi~ My name is Galiya, I'm from Kazakhstan, currently based in Hong Kong. Love learning about different cultures and languages, so if you want to connect and discuss literally anything, hit me up on DMs :D
Briefly about my interests and achievements:
I am interested in AI ethics and learning science and have built a track record at the intersection of education and AI.
My experience spans teaching, admissions consulting, and content creation in international environments across Kazakhstan, South Korea, Italy, and Hong Kong. I am particularly interested in improving access to global education and how AI is reshaping the traditional forms of education.
Currently, I am developing research through the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, focusing on university-level assessment methods in the context of GenAI.