Thanks to the Games, we’ll inherit the Vortex

What are the implications for UNIL of the Youth Olympic Games? What facilities is the university making available to them? Answers from the Rector, Nouria Hernandez and Benoît Frund, Vice-Rector for Sustainability and Campus.

Francine Zambano

Why is UNIL involved in the Youth Olympic Games?

Nouria Hernandez: One of the university’s missions is to serve society in the very broadest sense of the term: welcoming the YOG to UNIL is part of that. As we are a university, we want to include both teaching and research in our contribution. The idea is to offer educational programmes to the athletes who will be coming here. We hope that they will find the programmes useful and interesting, and that they will spread the word about them. The Games will also put the spotlight on our Interdisciplinary Centre for Sports Research (CIRS), the Institute for Sports Science and university sports.

Benoît Frund: It’s natural for UNIL to support a major cantonal project, which is backed by our authorities. The Canton of Vaud and the City of Lausanne are the main sponsors and, as a cantonal institution, we have a duty to support them. Thanks to the Games, we will be identified as the university of the Olympic capital, and an institution with a very important centre of expertise in sport. Our primary objective for Lausanne 2020 is enhancing our reputation among the people of Vaud, and Switzerland more generally. There will be 1,880 athletes and relatively modest national delegations, and the young athletes coming will not be familiar to the general public. But it’s natural for UNIL to be involved: young people are our life blood. Lots of students are involved in Lausanne 2020 and some of them may be able to use the Games for their Bachelor’s or Master’s research, or even a PhD. There will be lectures and academic symposia on both the Olympic movement and the YOG.

What are the benefits on a more practical level?

N.H.: Thanks to the YOG, we will inherit the Vortex, a building that will provide accommodation for almost 1,000 students from September 2020, which is very significant. There will also be spaces available to accommodate academic guests, which has been very difficult up till now. So that aspect is another huge benefit for the university and our students.

B.F.: The lower floor of the Vortex will be used to provide services to the whole university community, including a restaurant, multi-purpose room and spaces for associations to use, which means that things can happen on campus 24 hours a day. We hope it will also be an opportunity for new collaborative projects to flourish internally, between different disciplines. During the Games, our experts from the university’s sports unit will be testing and advising athletes as part of an education programme with students in sports science, while medical and psychology students at CHUV will provide further support, with modules on prevention and care. I’d also like to emphasise that the Games won’t prevent people carrying on with their usual activities. Most members of the university community won’t be involved.

What infrastructure and resources is UNIL making available to the YOG?

B.F.: We are providing premises, including the Banane restaurant morning and evening. Rooms on the upper floor of the Amphimax building will be reserved for activities, internal sessions and meetings. The YOG organisers will also be using lecture theatres 350 and 351 for major events, such as welcoming the athletes and their entourage. A few rooms in the Sports Centre will be in use. Part of the car park in front of the Amphimax building will be used by the buses that will be transporting the athletes to the various sites. But it’s worth noting that exams will be taking place in the Amphimax building as usual: just three have had to be moved. We have also provided the YOG with a project manager, Oliver Mutter, as well as the Health for Performance programme in Malley, in conjunction with EPFL, CHUV and FUNIL. We are also running an entire programme in the context of Lausanne en Jeux at the Espace Arlaud. In brief, UNIL is not a sponsor but a close institutional partner to the Games.