Credit: Otilia Dragan / Chronicle.lu
On the evening of Wednesday 11 October 2023, the University of Luxembourg celebrated the start of the 2023/24 academic year with a special "welcome back" event at the Maison des Arts et des Étudiants, on its campus in Esch-Belval.
Professor Jens Kreisel, Rector of the University of Luxembourg, held a speech welcoming the students and teaching staff for the new semester. He emphasised the importance of "unity of research and teaching". He stressed that, as a physicist, he aims to incorporate his latest research into his teaching and that research universities such as the University of Luxembourg "open doors to students".
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the University of Luxembourg, and the Rector took this opportunity to announce some of the university's new initiatives. He emphasised the importance of the Max Planck Institute for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law, currently based in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, which will be transferred to the University of Luxembourg on 1 January 2024. He also highlighted that "we are in the middle of a climate change" and that the university will launch a new centre in environmental science, following a hearing of concepts and an international screening at the end of the year. Further plans will then be discussed at the beginning of next year. Professor Kreisel also mentioned that concepts will be developed concerning data science and digital technologies - one "transversal" to the entire university.
Other points he mentioned for the new year was the plan to continue developing a bachelor in medicine and the new bachelor in nursing sciences available this year. The rectorate will visit every faculty throughout October and November for a two-hour formal presentation and a one-hour informal exchange with open dialogue. This is a part of the preparation for research evaluation, in view of the international unversities' ranking. The latest research evaluation occurred in 2016, the Rector noted.
Professor Kreisel also discussed the growing importance of digital competencies and sustainability and announced that a competition for ideas will take place next year "as an example for a digital future".
Next, the conferment of teaching awards honoured the members of the three different faculties who were chosen based on student recommendations, given to their respective faculty council. The 2023 award winners were: Dr Sri Sudha Vijay Keshav Kolla and Prof Dr Markus Schäfer (Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine); Prof Dr Thomas Kaspereit and Prof Dr Luca Ratti (Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance); Prof Dr Robert Kumsta, Dr Ineke Pit-ten Cate and Dr Valentin Emslander (Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences).
Lastly, the student initiative awards as well as the sixteen Advance HE certificate winners were presented. The University of Luxembourg's Iranian Student Association received a student initiative award for its activities facilitating better integration for new Iranian students at the university - the largest group of international students in terms of community linked to a country. The association organises cultural events and aims to ease the transition and help Iranian students integrate into the Luxembourgish community.
ROUX Magazine was granted a student initiative award for its monthly magazine offering students an "artistic outlet". Created in 2022, the magazine started out with 50 copies in November 2022 and later increased its output to 500 copies for the Belval and Kirchberg campuses.
Ioanna Bagia won an Honorary Mention for having undertaken a personal initiative concerning "breaking the cycle for the prevention of domestic violence". Her project included training firefighters to recognise cases of domestic violence and child abuse. Ioanna Bagia thanked her faculty for the ability to do research on this topic.
