Society in the Grand Duchy as an object of study - that is the mission accepted by some University of Luxembourg scientists who are studying cultural, political, social and spatial developments in the country; on Thursday 26 May (at 11:30) at the Cercle Cité (Place d’Armes), Henri Beck Auditorium, the professors and research staff involved in the studies will present their work to the public – in a series of five-minute mini-presentations.

This will provide an excellent opportunity for all interested members of the public to gain an overview of current research projects in just an hour. Topics include the origins of Luxembourg surnames, which researchers examined by name type, etymology, historical linguistic development and geographic spread, providing an intriguing insight into the history of names of Luxembourg families. Other researchers have set their sights on Luxembourg literature: One study homed in on trends in Luxembourg literature from 1945 to 1980, while another examined literary censorship between 1815 and 1866, comparing the perspectives of Luxembourg and Prussia. Other projects deal with topics such as the impact of globalisation on higher education policy, or the equity stakes of the Luxembourgish industry group ARBED in Eastern Europe in the post-war period.

Involved researchers come from the IPSE research unit (French acronym for “Identities, Policies, Societies, Spaces”) in the Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education. The presentation will be given in the three national languages of Luxembourg (French, German and Luxembourgish). Translation will not be provided. A brief discussion after the round of presentations, followed by complementary refreshments at 13:00, will provide an opportunity to chat with researchers in person.

Admission is free. Please register by sending an e-mail to ipse@uni.lu.