Participants

Meet the 34 INSSINC alumni from EPFL, UNIL, ECAL, and EPFL+ECAL Lab

Sarah Soussou

Microengineering, EPFL

"INSSINC challenged my preconceptions and expanded my horizons, demonstrating the transformative power of collaboration, empathy, and cultural immersion in driving innovation and positive change."

Timothée Bader

Microengineering, EPFL

"Finally I could do something real that's fitting my values! Among the many things I learned, the most valuables are definitely the ones I expected the least. INSSINC is about taking whatever comes to you, and doing your best with it."

Axelle Bersier

Geography, UNIL

"INSSINC taught me to question issues and solutions by talking to people from different backgrounds."

Sofía González Jiménez

Social Science, UNIL

"The INSSINC program was an immersive cultural experience that taught me to approach modern issues with empathy and creativity using interdisciplinary strategies through unique human interactions"

Ismail Benkirane

Robotics + Neuroprosthetics, EPFL

"In a sentence, INSSINC was a lesson of humility and humanly the richest experience I’ve had."

Alejandrina Hernandez Zavarce

Product Design, ECAL

"The experience gave me another way of looking at problems, looking beyond the less obvious and how to interact in new ways with the local community with different values and beliefs. I especially liked working in a cooperative relationship with an interdisciplinary team with the same shared interest of working for the good of others"

Iris Gerbex

Product Design, ECAL

"Meeting incredible people both on-site and in the group. I made real friends that I continue to see now."

Christophe Teixeira Ascençao

Product Design, ECAL

Sara Anejjar

Communication Systems, EPFL

"A very enriching experience that allowed me to better understand where an individual's opinion is coming from. Interacting with local people made me remodel my way of thinking to take into account all the potential factors of an idea."

Anne Perrottet

Political Economics, UNIL

"Better communication skills intra-group and extra-group were a huge gain for me."

Basile Avvanzino

Product Design, ECAL

"I loved the exchanges and relationships I had with the local people, who taught me many things in my design practice but especially on a human level. This experience also allowed me to awaken my curiosity and sensitivity to the world and details that surround me."

Sabri El Amrani

Robotics, EPFL

"INSSINC was a very enriching experience that taught me how to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment while having fun. The key? A comprehensive project methodology, with a lot of fieldwork and varied feedback, curiosity, flexibility, energy, and a great team with amazing vibes! "

Patricia Cavestany

Mechanical Engineering, EPFL

”An experience where social background didn’t matter (culture, studies, age...) because you where constantly learning from others to work towards a common goal outside the regular context.”I

Grace Lokako

Business/Management, HEC, Lausanne

”INSSINC was humanly the richest experience I’ve had. Working with people who think and implement differently, as well as immersing ourselves in a different culture with open minds and innocent eyes taught us in two weeks what people take years to learn.”

Romain Talou

Design Researcher, EPFL+ECAL Lab

”The local craftsmanship involved in prototyping our solution has made me completely rethink my vision of artifact production and pushes me to reconsider the relationship between craftsmen and designers.”

Iscia Vos

Physics, EPFL

”In only two week INSSINC taught me the meaning of social innovation.”

Valentin Calame

Design Researcher, EPFL+ECAL Lab

”INSSINC is a method of learning to take ownership of other people's problems in order to be human-centered in design.”

Dana Ghosn

Mechanical Engineering, EPFL

”This program initiates a new perspective that links professional ambitions with social impact.”

Victorine Lefebvre

Product Design

”Confronting ideas within an interdisciplinary team, and facing the realities of the field, is a rich and unique experience that will inevitably have an impact on my future practice.”

Amara Slaymaker

Energy Science and Technology, EPFL

”INSSINC is an opportunity to learn about the importance of truly immersing yourself in the problem you are trying to solve, and the amazing solutions that can come out of inter-cultural and inter-disciplinary exchange.”

Doha Mahfoudhi

Business/Management, HEC, Lausanne

”Nothing is better than being in a total immersion to understand local communities challenges. When you travel somewhere, throw everything you've learned before, be empathetic with the community you are facing and define completely new rules.”

Jean-André Davy--Guidicelli

Environmental Sciences and Engineering, EPFL

”INSSINC is an intense immersive experience that taught me how to create impact thanks to human centered design in Innovation and technologies.”

Louis Betin

Product Design

”INSSINC gave me a condensed and unique experience, whether cultural, social, professional or human, it made me change my way of looking at things.”

Jelena Dolecek

Materials Science and Engineering, EPFL

“To work side-by-side with such dedicated people on a problem that concerns millions of people, made me realize the impact my own contribution can have.”

Anaïs Matthey-Junod

Energy management and sustainability, EPFL

“INSSINC is an opportunity to work with students from various backgrounds while challenging yourself in a different environment than what you are used to.”

Sarra Ben Bader

Business, HEC, Lausanne

“How to work on concrete, pluri-disciplinary project by getting immersed in a complete new environment and using Jugaad philosophy?”

Marijan Micakovic

Social Sciences, UNIL

“Social scientists work hard on analyzing situations but are not used to provide solutions. Make them work with entrepreneurs to get the best out of two worlds.”

Yoann Douillet

Design Research for Digital Innovation, EPFL+ECAL Lab

“Working with, and for the best possible people, made it more than just an inclusive design experience.”

Yasmine Benkirane

Business, HEC, Lausanne

“I learned from inspiring people the meaning of social entrepreneurship and immersed myself in a new culture. It was intensive and rewarding!”

Philippe Bontà

Social Sciences, UNIL

“Take everything you think you know and throw it out the window. Improvise. Adapt. Jugaad.”

Hélène Portier

Design Researcher, EPFL+ECAL Lab

“This program taught me that the best way to implement social innovation is by immersing oneself in society and observing people’s behaviours and needs.”

Mélanie Lacroix

Architecture, EPFL

“Getting the opportunity of having a positive impact on people lives as they changed mine is an amazing experience.”needs.”

Andres Engels

Management of Technology & Entrepreneurship – EPFL

“INSSINC allowed me to learn from and work alongside one of the world’s most recognized and experienced social enterprises, Selco Foundation.”

Margaux Charvolin

Design Research for Digital Innovation, EPFL+ECAL Lab

“A multidisciplinary experience that places the user at the center of the design project. An experience which illustrate all the meaning of inclusive design.”