Pepperdine University Dedicates New Switzerland Campus

July 6, 2023 – Blonay - Saint-Légier, Switzerland – Pepperdine University is announcing its new Switzerland campus today at a dedication ceremony at the historic Château d’Hauteville.

“Pepperdine University is the premier Christian institution in higher education dedicated to preparing students for lives of purpose, service, and leadership,” said President Jim Gash. “The Château d’Hauteville international program will provide our students and the greater Pepperdine community a world-class venue for transformative cultural exchange and convening conversations of global significance.”

The Château d’Hauteville will accommodate 80 undergraduate students and 45 graduate students per semester on average. Pepperdine will offer a variety of academic courses on campus, including French language, world civilizations, earth science, Christianity and culture, farming, plants and the environment, sociology, foreign policy, and alternative dispute resolution. The château will also serve as a center for conferences, lectures, retreats, and events that will enable thoughtful and world-changing conversations about global challenges and opportunities.

Built in 18th-century European style, the historic Château d’Hauteville is one of the most prestigious properties in the region and has been given Switzerland’s highest protected designation as a Class 1 Historic Site. The 90-acre property is Pepperdine’s largest international campus.

With unparalleled views of Lake Geneva and the Alps, the château is an architectural masterpiece, which features a striking hand-painted façade, a variety of rooms, halls, salons, grand cobblestone courtyard, and French-style gardens. Vineyards, orchards, forests, and dramatic tree-lined pathways surround the estate. The property also includes a two-story orangerie, a barn, greenhouse, and an impressive residential gatehouse. The history of the magnificent estate, and of the Grand d’Hauteville family who occupied it, will provide students and educators with countless examples of the artistic, philosophical, religious, and political forces that shaped much of the modern world.

Pepperdine University is committed to preserving the legacy and character of the breathtaking Château d’Hauteville, while upgrading the infrastructure and creating modern living accommodations for students, faculty, and campus visitors. 

Nicolas Delachaux, of the architectural firm glatz–delachaux architectes associés, serves as the architect for the project. “The guiding motivation of the project was maintaining a balance between history and modernity,” said Delachaux. “Everything we have done here is for the preservation of the monument and the benefit of the students.”

Renovations have included all new utilities, student residence rooms, commercial kitchen and dining room, renovated roofs and windows, new information technology infrastructure, and restored façades. A commission of historic restoration experts has guided the renovation, as well as experts in sustainable restoration practices and techniques.

In addition to the Château d’Hauteville, Pepperdine University owns residential academic facilities in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Florence, Italy; Heidelberg, Germany; London, United Kingdom; and Washington, D.C. Over 80% of Pepperdine undergraduate students study abroad in one of the University’s life-changing international programs.

About Pepperdine University

Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Follow Pepperdine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

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