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Old 20 May 2011, 08:27 AM   #9
AJSM
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Join Date: May 2011
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Education
The Rolex Institute underwrites a number of highly respected educational activities in the watchmaking and technological fields.
It is a major funder of the new Learning Centre of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (known by its French acronym, EPFL). Opening in 2010, the centre, designed by Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima, will house a central library, computer facilities, study areas and conference rooms. At the heart of the EPFL campus, it is expected to attract some of the best scientists from around the world.
Rolex also funds two watchmaking schools in collaboration with the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Education Program (WOSTEP), located in Neuchatel, Switzerland. The organization’s objective is to develop the profession throughout the world.
The Lititz Watch Technicum, a not‐for‐profit foundation entirely subsidized by Rolex, occupies 10,000 square feet (900 square metres) in a state‐of‐the‐art facility in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Here students, whose tuition is paid by Rolex, participate in the two‐year, 3,000‐hour WOSTEP programme.
Rolex opened the Tokyo Watch Technicum in 2002. Students who follow the two‐ year programme and pass the final examination receive a diploma as watchmakers certified by WOSTEP. The Tokyo Watch Technicum trains 12 new watchmakers every year.
Opened in September 2007, the latest watchmaking school supported by Rolex is the Rolex Training Centre Mumbai. The first six graduates of the 12‐month
course, which is designed for professional watchmakers, received their certificates in 2008.
Those graduating from these watchmaking schools are prepared to respond to the most demanding requirements of the industry. They are not obliged to work for Rolex.
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