Grand Duke, Minister Obertin Visit Freiburg to Strengthen Academic & Scientific Ties

Luxembourg's Ministry of Research and Higher Education has reported that Grand Duke Henri, accompanied by the Minister for Research and Higher Education, Stéphanie Obertin, paid an official visit to Freiburg, Germany on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 November 2024.

This visit aimed in particular to strengthen academic and scientific ties between Luxembourg and Germany and to discuss key topics for higher education, innovation and the energy transition.

During the visit, Minister Obertin had the opportunity to meet with the heads of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Freiburg. The ministry described this meeting as particularly important for Luxembourg, which has been "actively developing" its own medical training programmes at the University of Luxembourg for several years. The Faculty of Medicine in Freiburg, with some 3,500 students and renowned for its academic excellence, represents a "model of inspiration" in the design of future Luxembourg medical training.

The exchange with the heads of the faculty highlighted avenues for collaboration and sharing of good practices that could contribute to the success of medical programmes in Luxembourg, added the ministry.

A breakfast with representatives of Luxembourg students in Freiburg was an opportunity for the Grand Duke and Minister Obertin to engage directly with Luxembourg students on their academic and life experience abroad, allowing for a "spontaneous" and "warm" exchange on their ambitions, expectations and vision of the future in Luxembourg.

The visit to the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), one of Germany's most advanced research centres in the field of energy transition, highlighted innovative approaches in the renewable energy sector. The Grand Duke and Minister Obertin, accompanied by the rector of the University of Luxembourg and the scientific director of the Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology (LIST), were able to discover advances in integrated photovoltaics, network technologies for the development of medium voltage, and heat pumps (the latter being considered as heating solutions for the future).

Hydrogen research, in particular, was a central topic of the visit, with an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities of the international hydrogen economy. The ministry recalled the relevance of this theme for Luxembourg, where the ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, which goes hand in hand with the national strategy, is a priority. Luxembourg, with a "booming public and private research sector", is looking for inspiring solutions and international partnerships, particularly in the field of renewable energies, the ministry said.

Having already collaborated a few years ago with Luxembourg in the development of its integrated national energy and climate plan for the period 2021-2030, the Fraunhofer ISE remains a "privileged partner" in the implementation of Luxembourg's sustainability objectives.

The ministry concluded that this official visit to Freiburg demonstrates Luxembourg's desire to draw inspiration from international best practices to promote innovation and sustainability. The "fruitful" dialogue between Luxembourg and the institutions in Freiburg is believed to have opened up new perspectives for strategic partnerships, whether in higher education, energy or research.