Prix Pralong & Cadot
Prix Christophe Pralong & Prix Olivier Cadot - Call for projects
Would you like to help solve development problems in the world? Propose your humanitarian project and benefit from the financial support of the Prix Christophe Pralong and the Prix Olivier Cadot.
What is the call for projects?
The Prix Christophe Pralong and the Prix Olivier Cadot aim to encourage students to dedicate themselves to development issues in the world by helping them to carry out a project in an emerging country.
The Prix Pralong was founded in 2007 by Ms Sandra Pralong to honour the memory of her husband Christophe, HEC alumni and former President of the HEC Students' Committee (1978-80). It is awarded by the Christophe Pralong Association.
To support the work of the association and to honour the memory of Professor Olivier Cadot, Professor of International Economics and Development (1999-2019), HEC Lausanne and the International Relations Office (SRI) of the University of Lausanne have created in 2021 a second prize to be awarded under the name of the Prix Olivier Cadot.
Endowed with an annual amount of maximum CHF 10,000 each, these prizes are intended to help a student or a group of maximum 3 students to carry out a social, humanitarian, entrepreneurial or academic project in an emerging country. The country must be on the list of Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients established by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD . The prize money is intended to cover all or part of the travel costs and one to two months' stay in the country.
Each project should be well defined in terms of objectives, modalities, follow-up and viability. Each proposal must also show what meaning the project has for the student, for the target populations and for the knowledge of development problems on the ground. One of the key conditions is that a local stay is necessary to carry out the project. The prize is open without discrimination to bachelor, master and doctoral students from the following universities: UNIL, EPFL, UNIGE, IHEID, UNIFR and UNINE.
Selection and awarding of the prize
Projects are evaluated based on the following criteria: relevance and feasibility of the project in relation to the budget and other constraints, definition of objectives and modalities, sustainability of the desired results and the need for a stay in the country concerned.
Examples of projects
To date, the Prix Pralong has financed projects such as a cereal mill for a village school in Niger, a medicinal plant processing plant in Vietnam, an aid programme in Madagascar, a fundraising campaign for a dispensary, a feasibility study for micro-irrigation in Niger and a sewing workshop for ready-to-wear clothes for export in Ivory Coast.
At the bottom of the page you will find the projects of the latest laureates.
Application
You can send your applications until 15 january 2025!
The project must take place in the summer of 2025 in the country concerned.
Requirements
The Prix Pralong is open to students∙e∙s in bachelor, master or doctoral studies from all faculties of the University of Lausanne (UNIL), as well as to students∙e∙s from the following universities: EPFL, UNIGE, IHEID, UNIFR and UNINE. At the time of submission, the candidate must therefore be enrolled at a university in French-speaking Switzerland.
Concerning the Prix Cadot, the student, or at least one student in the case of a group, must be registered at UNIL at the time of submission of the project. A UNIL-registered project leader will be appointed from among the members of the group. All candidates registered at UNIL will be considered for the Prix Pralong and the Prix Cadot. All candidates registered outside UNIL will be considered for the Prix Pralong only.
Candidates will be evaluated based on a written submission that they will have proposed before the deadline, according to the modalities explained in the guide for written submission. The selection decision is not subject to appeal.
Note: The participation of the Prize (maximum amount of 10,000.-) in the financing of the project cannot exceed 80% of the total budget. The remaining 20% comes from funds outside the Prize, and is found by the student himself.
Application process
Documents to be included in your application:
- The registration form
- The defined budget
- A detailed description of the project (context, motivation, commitment, follow-up and sustainability)
- A certificate of registration from your university
- A CV (in case of a group, one CV per person)
- A letter of confirmation from the local partner on site proving your participation in the project
- If applicable, an official document from the association carrying the project in Switzerland supporting your participation
- For applicants registered at UNIL only: La déclaration d'engagement
- Other relevant documents
The description of the project can be in French or English, depending on the student's choice.
An explanatory document is available to fill in the budget and the detailed description.
The complete file must be sent in electronic format to madeleine.linard@unil.ch.
Documents
Document explicatif en français (243 Ko)
Exemple budget en français (165 Ko)
Registration form in English (111 Ko)
Explanatory document in English (249 Ko)
Example budget in English (121 Ko)
La déclaration d'engagement (64 Ko)
Community Toursime - Reducing poverty and promoting local development in Rwanda
Hugo Troendle, Cadot Prize laureate, Master in Management HEC, Business Analytics specialisation at UNIL
This project aims to develop community-based tourism in Rwanda to combat poverty in the Burera district, while promoting sustainable practices. Faced with strong growth in the tourism sector but a lack of international representation, it aims to create an online sales platform aimed at Western tourists and to establish partnerships with European agencies. The revenue generated will be redistributed to local communities via a participative cooperative, making it possible to finance essential needs such as water, education and healthcare, while creating jobs.
By relying on a solid local partnership and transparent management, this project aims to increase the autonomy of local people while regularly measuring its impact. Although risks such as political instability and dependence on tourism are envisaged, appropriate measures will ensure its sustainability. Combining economic profitability and social impact, this initiative is part of a dynamic of sustainable co-development.
Participatory action research project: Farmer agro-ecology - Science-society dialogue and intersecting perspectives
Andrea Mathez, Cadot Prize laureate, PhD student, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, Institute of Geography and Sustainability, UNIL
Brief description of the project: This participatory action research project proposes a meeting on peasant agroecology between Moroccan and Swiss stakeholders in the Canton of Vaud from 2 to 10 October 2024. The date and venue have been chosen to take advantage of the synergy and partnership with the Journées d'agroécologie and the Forum Origine, Diversité, Territoires, both of which take place in October 2024 in Switzerland. By bringing together researchers and farmers from Morocco and Switzerland, this project aims to create an unprecedented space for sharing experience and knowledge, by bringing together players who otherwise communicate little about the agricultural issues facing their territories. The aim of the project is to encourage exchanges, knowledge and farmer networks to inspire, improve and consolidate farmer-based agroecology in these two regions.
Stitching Hope: Empowering Survivors Through Sewing
Johanna Alicia Angeles, lauréate du Prix Pralong, Master in International and Development Studies (Global Health Specialization), The Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID)
The project is aimed at rehabilitating abused and exploited street girls in Metro Manila, Philippines, through Tahanan Sta. Luisa (TSL). This non-profit organization provides shelter, education, healthcare, and life skills training to girls aged 11–15, preparing them for reintegration into society. Stitching Hope builds on TSL’s sewing program, enhancing it with workshops in financial literacy and entrepreneurship to foster economic independence and holistic recovery.
The project promotes healing through art therapy, leveraging sewing as a creative outlet to help girls process trauma. Refurbished sewing machines and new materials will ensure the program’s sustainability, while the sale of handcrafted items will provide income to participants and raise public awareness about violence against children.
The initiative, rooted in ethical practices, secures participants’ consent and ensures their choices do not impact their access to other services. By combining technical skills with emotional and financial empowerment, the project enables girls to transition confidently into adulthood. Sustained through reinvested revenues and diversified funding, it addresses urgent rehabilitation needs while promoting long-term community support for vulnerable youth.