EPFL inaugurates its first Postdoc Association during lockdown

© 2020 EPFL - The newly inaugurated Postdoc Association aims to promote the professional development of EPFL postdoctoral researchers. The EPFL Postdoc Association (EPDA) became EPFL's first non-student association in March during the coronavirus lockdown. It builds upon the foundations laid down by the former SV Postdoc Association that was created in 2012 by life-science postdoctoral fellows at EPFL. The SV association's activities, initially organized for life-science postdocs, soon caught the interest of postdocs across all faculties. "Even though the association was initially created by SV postdocs, it became obvious that what we were doing was beneficial for the entire postdoc community at EPFL," continues Asadzadeh. "The SV dean Gisou van der Goot has supported the association since inception, and the new EPFL Postdoc Association wouldn't be here today without her support." While fulfilling an important role in the development of Postdocs' careers, members of the EPDA also foster a much-needed dialogue between the community of postdocs and EPFL's administration. One of the current issues is on the formal status of postdoctoral researchers at EPFL, which has practical implications such as the type of residency permit for working in Switzerland, to mailing-lists and access to alumni networks upon departure.