The Oxford University and Cambridge
University Societies in Luxembourg organised a highly successful reunion
weekend in Luxembourg for alumni of the Universities in the Benelux and
Rhineland. Altogether 119 alumni and their partners/spouses took part in the
weekend’s activities.
Events kicked off on the evening of Friday 6
May with a lively Brazilian party at Maria Bonita in the Rives de Clausen.
The following morning a somewhat more sober
conference, kindly sponsored by Clifford Chance, on the Luxembourg EU–based
institutions was held at the Cercle Cité in the centre of Luxembourg. Speakers included
Ian Forrester, former Judge of the General Court, Geoffrey Simpson, Director of
Audit Quality and Audit Methodology at the European Court of Auditors and Francis
Carpenter, former Secretary-General of the European Investment Bank and
CEO of the European Investment Fund. Our speakers were both informative and
entertaining and provided exceptional insight into their respective
institutions. Several participants said afterwards that they had never thought
that public sector audit could be so stimulating!
Tours were arranged to the historic centre
of Luxembourg and its fortifications as well as to the Museum of Modern Art (Mudam)
and Dräi Eechelen museum of the fortress of Luxembourg. Professor Alan Wirth
gave a superb concert of baroque and renaissance organ music at the Church of
St Michel, Luxembourg’s oldest church dating back to 987. The ancient cities of
Oxford and Cambridge would have been hard-pressed to match the beauty and
serenity of the surroundings and the music.
The day was rounded off with a black-tie
Gala Dinner for 88 people at the Cercle Münster opened by a Latin grace spoken
by Oxford graduate David Weis. Special guest Martine Reicherts, president of
Luxembourg’s Fonds National de Recherche, gave an address on Innovation in
Luxembourg. We were also honoured by the presence of the Deputy Ambassador of
the United States, Casey Mace and his wife Anne. Mr Mace proposed a toast to
the Transatlantic Alliance and spoke briefly of how the Ukrainian crisis has
reinforced the need for transatlantic friendship. Toasts were proposed to His
Royal Highness the Grand Duke and to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and to the
two Universities. All guests enjoyed an exceptionally convivial evening with
excellent food and fine wines laid on by the Cercle Münster’s superb staff.
The weekend was rounded off with a winetasting
at one of Luxembourg’s premier vineyards, Château Pauqué, understandably limited
to 30 participants. Abi Duhr, probably the most interesting winemaker in Luxembourg
presented a selection of his white wines. Cambridge Society Secretary and amateur
oenophile John Speed rated the event one of the very best he has attended.
In conclusion, the Oxford and Cambridge Luxembourg Societies have achieved their objectives of promoting friendship amongst the alumni of the two universities and displaying the best that Luxembourg can provide.
The Oxford University Society and the Cambridge Society of Luxembourg, are inviting members of the Oxford and Cambridge University alumni associations in Belgium, the Netherlands and the Rhineland, as well as our own members here in Luxembourg, to come together over the weekend from the evening of Friday, 6th May to Sunday 8th May, 2022 in Luxembourg for an interesting programme of cultural and social events and activities.
The purpose of the weekend is to enable members of our associations to meet together in a congenial atmosphere to experience the many and varied attractions that Luxembourg has to offer, as well as to enjoy a number of high-quality social functions
The Programme
Friday
6th May
The weekend’s activities start at 19:30 with a Brazilian Dinner and Dancing at Maria Bonita restaurant in the Rives de Clausen, which was formerly occupied by the Mousel Brewery but has been recently redeveloped as one Luxembourg’s most lively social areas with many bars and restaurants. We anticipate that there will be opportunities for those who want to receive instruction in salsa and samba.
Saturday
7th May
On the
Saturday morning “shepherds” will assemble the participants staying in the
hotels on the Kirchberg (the Novotel, the Melia and Mama Shelter) at 09:00 and
guide them on foot and via the tram to the Cercle Citéat the Place
d’Armes. Between 09:30 and 12:00 we will have talks from three
highly respected and experienced former or current officials about the
institutions of the European Union which have their seat in Luxembourg, i.e. the
European Court of Justice (Ian Forrester, QC, former Judge in the General
Court), the European Court of Auditors (Geoffrey Simpson, Director of Audit
Quality and Audit Methodology), and the European Investment Bank/European
Investment Fund (Francis Carpenter, former Secretary General of the EIB and CEO
of the EIF). The meeting will be chaired by Catherine Léglu, Vice-rector
for academic affairs of the University of Luxembourg who is a member of
both of our Societies.
We are very grateful to Clifford Chance for sponsoring this event.
In the afternoon there are optional activities: One option is Visits to the Grand-Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM), designed by Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pe, and the Dräi Eechelen Museum of the history of the fortress of Luxembourg, and the fortifications of Luxembourg, between 13:30 and 15:30. Participants who choose this will return after the talks at the Cercle Cité on foot and via the tram to the Place de l’Europe, Kirchberg where they will have a light lunch at the Table de Belvedere Restaurant between 12:30 and 13:30.
MUDAM
Dräi Eechelen Museum
The second option
for the afternoon is to take a Tour of the city centre and fortifications of
the City Luxembourg between 14:00 and 16:00, followed by a Visit to the
Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies and Talk by Dan Schmit, a member of the OUSL and
on the staff of the Chamber,from 16:00 to 16:45.
Those who wish to do
this could also go to the Table de Belvedere Restaurant for the light lunch – we
will propose to start the tour of the City centre from there– but may prefer to
stay in the centre for a lunch at one of the many restaurants and cafés there
and meet the walk in the centre. This walk will suit those who cannot join the
City tour on Sunday.
In the early evening there
is a further activity from 18:00 to 19:00: Organ Recital of Baroque Music by
Alan Wirth, organist, at the Église St. Michel. The church is the oldest
extant religious site in Luxembourg, its origins date from 987 and it has a
very fine organ. This will be sponsored by the Cambridge and the Oxford
Societies in Luxembourg.
Participants will need to plan their afternoon carefully to make sure that they have time to return to their hotel to change for the black-tie Gala Dinner at the Cercle Münster in the Grund! For example, if they want to attend the organ recital, they will need to change for dinner beforehand.
The Cercle Münster is an exclusive private club serving the business community in Luxembourg situated in buildings from the 18th century, in a style that it describes as “resolutely British”. It is renowned for its gastronomy and wines, and is a superb setting for our Gala Dinner, which will start at 19:30. The Guest Speaker will be Martine Reicherts, President of the Fonds National de la Recherche, Chair of St Paul and former European Commissioner and Director General of the Commission. She will speak on “Innovation in Luxembourg”.
Sunday 8th
May
In the morning we will assemble after breakfast at 11:00 on thePlace Guillaume for a Guided City Promenade of Luxembourg. The Luxembourg Tourist Office writes: “The City Promenade is the perfect way to get the most out of your stay in Luxembourg City. Accompanied by one of our official guides, you will discover the former fortress city’s top attractions and hidden gems!This 2-hour walking tour will make you discover, among many others, the prestigious grand ducal Palace, the Corniche also known as the “most beautiful balcony in Europe” as well as the Bock promontory, the cradle of Luxembourg City.”
Bock Promontory
If participants wish to join the tour of the Mosel vineyards they will need to peel off at the Cathedral in order the catch the bus at 12:20
After the City Promenade, or instead of it, there is the possibility to take a bus from Luxembourg at 12:20 down to the Mosel vineyards to perhaps the finest Luxembourg vineyard “Château Pauqué” in Grevenmacher where owner Abi Duhr will lead us in a tasting of his remarkable wines from 13:00. “Abi Duhr rightly has his reputation as the enfant terrible of Luxembourg wines – and for good reason. Not for him the conventional, conservative and traditional winemaking of his neighbours, he is always prepared to push to the limit to gain that extra bit of quality out of all his wines » (from a blog by Dragan Unic, a Chef/sommelier in Sweden). A simple buffet will be served at the Château. Please note that numbers are restricted to 30 for this visit.
Château Pauqué
We will return to Luxembourg after the tasting at 15:45 to ensure that all participants are back at their hotels by 16:30.
For those looking for
something to do on Sunday evening have a look at https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/whats-on. Members of
the two Host societies may be happy to help, informally, to arrange things to
do.
Monday 9th May
We have not arranged any activities for Monday, 9th May which is Europe Day in Luxembourg and a Bank Holiday. Should you wish to stay to the Monday, we can, however, provide links to “Esch2022” which is the programme organized by the Luxembourg authorities for Esch-sur-Alzette, the second city of Luxembourg and European Capital of Culture 2022. Esch has also the main campus of the University of Luxembourg at Belval, the former site of a major steelworks where the industrial culture of the site is preserved by the spectacular restored blast furnace which can be visited.
This has been sent out to all Cambridge alumni on our mailing list. If you are an alumnus or alumna but are not registered with us, but would like to attend some of the activities of the weekend, please contact secretary@cambridgesociety.lu and we will be pleased to show you how to take part.
