Episoder
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Career planning, as a student or an adult; plus the upcoming Science Slam in Luxembourg.
Arnit Dey has two more years of High School left before he and his cohort of global students have to decide what to study, where to go and what to do with the first part of the rest of their adult lives.
Arnit himself was born in the UAE to an Indian family and now lives in Luxembourg. He feels that the upcoming decisions need to be spoken about more at this important juncture in life, which conflates education, peer and parental pressure and the simple heaviness of figuring out what to do in the future.
Anneke Hudson is the in-house careers advisor at St. George’s International School. Anneke is half-English, half-Dutch, born in Kenya, raised there, in Zambia, South Africa, Oman, North America and England and is raising her own family here in Luxembourg. And so, she knows what it feels like to be a ‘3rd culture kid’, a married mother abroad and an expat parent.
Anneke first studied law and became an in-house banking solicitor in a City of London international corporate law firm. Quite quickly she realised this was not a career she enjoyed. After a gap to raise her children, Anneke took a Masters degree in Career Development and Coaching from the University of Warwick in the UK and became a registered Career Development Professional with the Career Development Institute in the UK.
At St. George’s International School she helps students think about the word ‘career’ to encompass the lifelong journey through life, learning and work.
“Your 'career' is the paid and unpaid roles which you undertake throughout a lifetime, including life roles, leisure activities, learning and work.”
There are six core career development skills, relevant for any age:
- Trying new things
- Understanding yourself
- Being open
- Reflecting
- Learning how to research
- Networking
These complement the six learning areas from the Career Development Institute Framework:
- Grow throughout life
- Explore possibilities
- Manage career
- Create opportunities
- Balance life and work
- See the big picture
Dr Ann Kiefer is a mathematician by training, working as a STEM Expert at the Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (LUCET) at the University of Luxembourg.
She leads a project called PITT (Programme for innovative teaching and training), where she develops science and maths lessons for secondary schools tailored to Luxembourg.
Ann is also highly involved with science communication, from designing a maths costume for the Manneken Pis in Brussels
https://www.lalibre.be/dernieres-depeches/belga/2020/07/20/des-chercheurs-de-la-vub-concoivent-un-costume-pour-manneken-pis-HJCWWYVOUNHLBIPMU6A2XDVM7Q/
to winning a number of science slams herself in Germany and Luxembourg. She also participates in Science Stand-Up Comedy
https ://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=HpcEsVI8ccc
Juan Aguilar is a digital archaeologist doing his PhD on the virtual recovery of a destroyed millennia-old cultural heritage site in Mosul, Iraq. Juan also won the Science Slam here in Luxembourg by explaining how he 3D-scanned and 3D reconstructed the presumed tomb of the Prophet Jonah which, until 2014, sat on an Assyrian palace
(IG: #nebiyunusdigitalarchaeologicalproject ).
He communicates his archaeological project work with short films. https://vimeo.com/829695470?share=copy
https://history.uni.lu/team-juan-aguilar/
Ann and Jan are part of the Luxembourg Science Slam organisation team which is open to all on Friday, 4th October at 7pm in Cercle Cité.
You can find the tickets here and videos of previous science slams here.
https://scienceslam.uni.lu/
Tickets : https://www.echo.lu/en/experiences/luxembourg-s-science-slam-5fQsxu
Videos of previous slams : https://www.youtube.com/@luxdoc472/videos -
Lisa, Sarah, and Vanessa gather in the Today Radio studio for Book Club's third instalment, sharing their very favourite summer reads - and they'd love to know yours!
This week's show is a deep chat on the books we've loved this summer. I'm joined by my colleagues Sarah Tapp and Vanessa Phelan.
Here are some of the books we talk about:
When the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Ann Patchett - all of her books!
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Do let us know what books you enjoy and if there are any in particular from this list that stand out to you. -
Manglende episoder?
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British Ambassador Thomas opens up about her life - describing an unusual path towards a successful career in diplomacy, from early struggles with sexual harassment to her recent battle with thyroid cancer.
Fleur Thomas was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 21 April 2021.
Fleur Thomas's journey is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of diversity. Starting her career as a chartered surveyor, she faced sexual harassment from senior colleagues, forcing her to leave that path. This early experience, though traumatic, shaped her character and fueled her resolve. Instead of being defeated, Ambassador Thomas redirected her energy into academia, earning two master’s degrees while working as British Airways cabin crew.
The drive to succeed, rooted in a sense of not quite measuring up due to her less privileged background, propelled Fleur forward. This determination is a trait she shares with her grandmother, who, after being widowed with five children, fought for her family’s survival by securing a council house after she lost the family tied house upon her husband’s untimely death.
“I think Diversity of thought is super important."
Fleur's career in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) saw her rise to the role of Head of Exports, a position that underscored her ability to thrive in challenging, male-dominated environments. Her dedication to promoting gender balance and social mobility within the MoD, as well as her recognition of the importance of intersectional diversity, highlights her commitment to creating inclusive spaces.
“The modern UK is very diverse and we represent the modern UK”
Her role as Ambassador in Luxembourg brought unexpected challenges, including a cancer diagnosis. Ambassador Thomas experienced unusual fatigue for an extended period of time. After several rounds of tests, she was finally diagnosed with T2N0M0 papillary thyroid cancer.
Despite the diagnosis, her diary was incredibly full in the weeks surrounding the biopsy, diagnosis and first surgery. Fleur organised and attended His Majesty the King’s Coronation Event and His Majesty The Kings’ official birthday party, hosted a ministerial visit from the UK and attended several receptions before her second surgery in mid-July and eventual return to work in August.
Aside from such a heavy and constant workload, which Fleur seems to thrive on, she also finds time for many creative pursuits. Ambassador Thomas arrived in Luxembourg with about 200 cookbooks, enjoys foraging for recipes and also has needlepoint skills passed down by her mother. Alongside this, the residence contains models of fighter jets and a meteor air to air missile.
Fleur Thomas’s life example shows how a diverse background, one of thought and experience, can help create new communities within a changing face of civil servants. -
From one News Director to another – after 32 years of news journalism, Guy Weber hands over to Luc Marteling, the new News Director of RTL.
Guy Weber started his career in radio. After a brief stint in PR for the steel works, he returned to RTL Television in June 1994 as a journalist. In 2017, he became Editor-In-Chief of the television division and then News Director. He retired in June of this year.
Luc Marteling has returned to RTL where he worked from 2008 to 2019. He left to become Director of the Center for the Luxembourgish Language and has now returned to RTL as its News Director.
Guy Weber talks about his many years as a ‘lone wolf’ and cautions the need to keep a distance from the deciders. He believes that journalists can have a positive impact on society.
He has worked across 20 elections and notable interviews include those with Yasser Arafat, Václav Havel and Lech Wałęsa. Guy talks about the journalist as an observer who must check their facts and always be a trusted source. They both talk about the way in which RTL needs to use different languages to connect with the population of Luxembourg.
Naturally, with the changing nature of how news media is consumed, we talk about the various platforms that need to be fed in an every quicker manner.
Guy will continue his journalism privately with a passion for cold case crime. This plus cycling and his beloved Liverpool football team.
Luc starts his role with a clear view to working on all that Guy has built and adapting to change in our media landscape using the variety of languages that Luxembourg lives and breathes. -
The ‘Harmony Across Borders’ international choral competition is now open for entry, a tremendous opportunity for amateur choirs to perform female composers’ work in Cambridge and Ely in July 2026.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love music, and that I’ve been singing in choirs most of my life. When I move country, one of the first things I research are choirs. They’re an instant ‘in’ to a community, who share a universal passion for music making and making of music as a shared experience beyond oneself. Music, singing, deep breathing and the social context of a choir makes choral music a great healer.
Harmony Across Borders is an international choral competition and the first in the world to celebrate the works of female composers and arrangers. Its founder, Hilary Nicholls, is a life-long chorister, who has sung under the directorships of Sir David Willcocks, John Scott and Neil Ferris.
In this conversation, I’m also joined by Joanna Gill, who is an award-winning composer of choral, film, and TV music. Her music has been performed by a variety of prestigious ensembles including the BBC Singers, the London Symphony Chorus and the London Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, Gill was awarded the Cappella Nova Award for her piece commemorating 100 years since women received the vote. Recently, Joanna was commissioned by His Royal Highness, King Charles III, to write a Scottish folksong for Queen Camilla which was sung at the Honours of Scotland Service in July 2023 following the King’s Coronation.
Harmony Across Borders
This competition welcomes amateur choirs of all ages and nationalities.
Choir size: 16 to 40 people.
Age categories: Under 18; 18 - 25 years; 25 years plus.
The event will take place in Cambridge University with a variety of workshops, talks and concert performances over the first weekend in July 2026.
The final gala concert taking place in Ely Cathedral on Sunday 5 July 2026.
Celebrating the works of female composers
Due to known historic social constraints, a dominantly male voice permeated the cultural sphere. Currently about 7% of repertoire selected is written by female composers and yet there's a wealth of music out there, both historic and contemporary, which is worthy of attention and revival.
Cambridge and Ely - the location
Cambridge will provide both a prestigious location and one with a strong choral tradition, giving a lifetime’s experience to choirs who wouldn’t ordinarily have that opportunity.
Fundraising
If you would like to donate to this event please get in touch with Hilary.
https://www.harmonyacrossborders.com/
Instagram @harmony_across_borders
FB @harmnyacrossborders
X @hab2026
https://www.joannagill.com/ -
Facing the end of life, often away from family if we are ex-pats, means we lean on others for support. Omega 90 is one such place, and through this conversation we discuss end of life preparation for ourselves and our loved ones.
My guests this week are:
- Claire Jordan, who cared for a friend to the end, with the support of Omega house
- Nancy Burg, a volunteer at Omega 90
- Maurizio Cortesi, psychologist and volunteer
- Fabian Weiser, Finance and Administrative Director at Omega 90
Palliative care is often considered a taboo topic, typically only discussed when these life events hit us. Preparing for the end of life is not something we commonly talk about with family or friends, although the very need for preparation can, in fact, help hugely at a time when people are emotionally drained. This stigma can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, whether due to a lack of awareness about options or an unwillingness of others to face death with us.
Claire Jordan intimately shares her journey with Omega 90, recounting her friend Denise Clark’s battle with cancer. Through Denise's diagnosis and eventual transition, Omega 90 provided not just medical care but a sanctuary of peace and dignity. Claire reflects on the transformative experience of moving from the clinical setting of a hospital to the warm, supportive environment of Omega 90, likening it to “walking into a 5-star hotel”.
Nancy Burg and Maurizio Cortesi speak about the importance of confronting mortality openly and early, both when working within palliative care and for one's own well-being. Maurizio, drawing from his experience in grief counselling, discusses the unpredictable nature of grief, emphasising the need for environments where individuals can mourn without judgement.
Fabian highlights the importance of a will, not simply about where one's possessions but also about how we would like to pass in case we are unable to consciously make and/or communicate decisions. Examples of this range from euthanasia to power of attorney.
Death inevitably affects everyone on this planet. The stigma surrounding this stage of life does not have to be so burdensome. By starting a larger conversation about it, the aim is to raise awareness of its importance and normalise the discussion.
Palliative care is a very important last step of life for many.
Find the link to the will from the omega website here and to donations and fundraising here.
https://www.omega90.lu/db/2/1432585784850/1 -
Rotary Hearts fundraise for childhood cancer and youth mental health issues.
Rotary Hearts fundraise for childhood cancer and youth mental health issues.
My guests this week are:
Anne Goeres, Director Luxembourg Foundation for Children with cancer, Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner
Vinciane Grevesse – Governor-Elect of Rotary Club's District 2160 for 2024-2025
Anastasia Vanden Berghe - President of Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts for 2024-2025
Pol Bertems - Project Manager at Arcus asbl.
Rotary Club Ambitions
The vision of the Rotary Club was born in 1905 with Paul Harris, an attorney in Chicago, to bring together professionals from diverse backgrounds in order to exchange ideas and form lifelong friendships.
Over time, Rotary expanded its scope to engage in humanitarian service, locally and globally.
Rotary members volunteer their time and skills across various focus areas, and with a global network of 1.4 million, the leverage potential to undertake impactful projects is substantial.
For instance, Rotary is a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership led by national governments and consisting of six core partners: the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Rotary Clubs in Luxembourg
Vinciane Grevesse has been a member of a Rotary Club since 2012 and is now Governor-Elect of Rotary Club's District 2160 for 2024-2025. Rotary District 2160, covers both Belgium and Luxembourg, comprising 68 Rotary Clubs and 5 Rotaract clubs (for young adults aged 18 to 30). Luxembourg has 14 Rotary Clubs and 1 Rotaract Club.
Vinciane tells us about the Zesummen Ennerwee (travelling together) project which takes place on the last Sunday of September. The idea is to offer people with disabilities a day filled with joyful experiences of movement. From boat and horseback rides to journeys in vintage cars, tractors, and even airplanes, the day is dedicated to sharing moments across land, air and sea.
English Speaking Rotary Hearts Club
Anastasia Vanden Berghe is President of Rotary Club Luxembourg-Hearts 2024-2025. Luxembourg-Hearts is the only English-speaking club in Luxembourg.
With the priority this year on children’s well-being and mental health related to children, Rotary Hearts are working with Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner for their Masquerade Charity Gala, on October 19th at Hotel Le Royale.
Website: https://luxembourg-hearts.rotary2160.org/en/
Event Website : https://rotary-hearts-2160.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/98062402/admin/feed/posts/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rotaryhearts
Anne GOERES, Managing Director at the Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner, talks about their three core missions:
To help improve the physical and psychological condition of the child and their family
Raise awareness of childhood cancer and defend the children’s rights
Support actively onco-paediatric research by funding specific projects with one main goal: cure more children and cure them better.
One of Anne’s significant achievements is developing FIGHT KIDS CANCER, an annual European call for projects dedicated to accelerating paediatric oncology research. In 4 years, Fight Kids Cancer funded 30 research projects for more than 18 million euros and in 11 different childhood cancer types.
Childhood cancer is an umbrella term for more than 60 types of cancer that affect children and adolescents. Unlike adult cancers, which are often linked to lifestyle or environmental factors, the causes of childhood cancers are largely unknown. The most common types of childhood cancer include leukemia, brain tumours, and lymphomas.
Children with cancer face unique challenges due to their developing bodies and minds. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can significantly impact their growth and development. Additionally, the psychological and emotional toll on both the children and their families can be profound.
The Foundation supports the daily life of families in need : every child with cancer living in Luxembourg or of which at least one parent works in Luxembourg can benefit from their services, from the very first day of diagnosis on. This includes information and help for financial and social matters, therapeutic support and also educational and recreational programmes.
Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner is fully financed by donations.
You can help by participating in the charity run Letz Go Gold at the end of September and / or join the Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts 10th Anniversary Masquerade Gala
This year, all funds raised from the gala will be dedicated to selected research programs on children's brain tumours.
www.fondatioun.lu
www.letzgogold.lu
Rotary Hearts Club also works with Arcus, as one of their aims is to help children’s mental health.
Pol Bertems, Arcus Project Manager, tells us more about the association.
Arcus is a non-profit organisation in social, educational, and therapeutic work, primarily focusing on children, youth and their families.
The "Kannerhaiser," operated by Arcus, are Children's Reception Centres that offer care and support to children and youth from challenging family backgrounds, often needing temporary separation from their parents. These centres create a safe, nurturing environment that focuses on health, academic growth, social and family bonds, autonomy, and structured daily routines. They also support children recovering from traumatic events and involve biological parents actively to strengthen family ties and provide educational guidance.
Arcus also provides specialized accommodation for children and youth with psychological and physical issues stemming from abuse or neglect, collaborating with child psychiatry experts for personalised therapies. A primary objective is to foster independence, particularly for youth aged 12 and older. The centres, spread across 18 living groups with over 136 spots, are located in various areas like Grevenmacher, Olingen, and Echternach, catering to children and teenagers aged 3 to 20 years.
The Animal Assisted Pedagogy and Therapy project at Kannerhaiser allows children to be surrounded by a range of animals, including horses, donkeys, sheep, alpacas, dogs, cats, chickens, and rabbits. These animals do not judge or hold prejudices, offering a unique, unbiased interaction for the youngsters, who often face judgment and bias in human interactions.
Working with animals can significantly boost children's self-confidence and trust in themselves and others. It also aids in their integration into group settings.
www.fondatioun.lu
www.letzgogold.lu
https://www.facebook.com/Arcus.asbl
https://www.instagram.com/Arcus_asbl/
https://www.Arcus.lu/
Website: https://luxembourg-hearts.rotary2160.org/en/
Event Website : https://rotary-hearts-2160.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/98062402/admin/feed/posts/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rotaryhearts -
Tom Weber was diagnosed as an adult with autism. We discuss his story, the resources available for people with autism in Luxembourg — along with information for the caregivers who support loved ones with autism.
My guests this week are:
- Tom Weber, English - German translator, and published author
- Sabine Angelsen, Director CTSA, Centre pour enfants et jeunes
présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme
- Anne Wagner, CTSA - psychologist
- Nathalie Oberweis, Head of Learning & Development - Autism Luxembourg
- Aleks Panzone, co-founder of T'ees Iced Tea
Tom Weber, a colleague at RTL Today, catalysed the topic of autism for this show by writing about it himself when diagnosed as an adult aged 27. Through Tom’s awareness-raising of neurodiversity we explore what autism is, how it can present, and what help is available to caregivers and autistic people themselves in Luxembourg.
Tom eloquently describes his own personal story, the constant effort of masking, the dark periods and the changes to one’s self-perception when diagnosed late.
Tom Weber is an English-German translator and this lifestyle fits his requirements for a professional life very well, whilst also giving him time to pursue his own writing of prose and poetry. Tom is a published author and won first prize at the National Literary Competition in 2020.
Autism is a very broad spectrum of neurodiverse traits and is more common than we may think, says Anne Wagner, CTSA - psychologist. And yet, over diagnosis can be an issue since there are frequent co-morbidities that accompany autistic people (aggression, ADHD, anxiety, depression, psychosis, for instance).
There is a heightened rate of suicide amongst autistic people and a higher rate of divorce for the care-givers. Tom describes the pain of not being able to connect with people and how that can lead to deep depression, which could result in suicide if one doesn’t have a strong support network.
Sabine Angelsen and Anne Wagner work with children and their families at the Centre pour enfants et jeunes présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (CTSA). They see children at the point at which some form of issue has presented, but many children find ways to mask their difficulties in social settings.
Nathalie Oberweis, Head of Learning & Development at Autism Luxembourg, helps people to develop skills in a safe environment through their various workshops. They provide vocational training, education, and even a day-centre in Sandweiler. They also have some home-help services and a limited number of accommodation facilities.
The workplace can be quite traumatic for an autistic person. We discuss what measures an employer could put in place to help this type of mind. It is often hard to ‘see’ neurodiverse issues; they can be thought of as ‘invisible handicaps’.
Aleks Panzone is just 23 years old and is the co-founder of T'ees Iced Tea. This (delicious) iced tea is produced by people with Autism in Luxembourg, aiming to raise awareness and supporting them by offering a safe working environment and decent wage. It is only made with local and natural ingredients; no added sugar and no artificial flavours. Aleks is helping people with autism live as fully integrated members of society.
https://just-thoughts.net/about/#:~:text=Tom%20Weber%20was%20born%20in,publishes%20books%2C%20mostly%20poetry%20collections.
www.autisme.lu
https://cc-ctsa.lu/
https://plantatea.com/
https://just-thoughts.net/2023/12/07/the-stranger-behind-my-eyes-27-years-undiagnosed-autistic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teesicetea/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/t-ees/?viewAsMember=true -
In part II of our Olympics special, we meet more of the Olympic entourage supporting Luxembourg's athletes in Paris this summer, plus more sport experts.
- Raymond Conzemius - Chef de mission of Team Lëtzebuerg for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, Technical Sports Director at COSL
- Christophe Ley - Associate Professor of Applied Statistics at the University of Luxembourg
- Aude Aguilaniu - Physiotherapist, ex elite athlete (Ski Cross)
- Max Englaro - Strength & Conditioning, & Rehab Coach U23 FC Augsburg
- Frank Muller - Sport Psychologist
- Nina Goedert - Physiotherapist
Raymond Conzemius, Chef de Mission of Team Lëtzebuerg for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 joins me with some of the Olympic Team’s entourage including sport psychologist Frank Müller and physiotherapist Nina Goedert.
Christophe Ley discusses the increasing use of statistics in sport science and many accompanied sports ventures. Strength & Conditioning, & Rehab Coach for U23 FC Augsburg, Max Englaro, uses such metrics to work with his footballers. And Aude Aguilaniu, now a physiotherapist, previously an Olympic level athlete for Ski Cross talks about the absolute need to build resilience after career-shattering injuries.
Raymond is a former international athlete in high jump, and still holds the national record with 2.22m. Unfortunately he didn’t have the chance to participate in the Olympic Games or World Championships but has happily found a career supporting others to attain that dream.
Conzemius is the Founder and Former director of Sportlycée, the sport secondary school in Luxembourg, and highlights the importance of an integrated approach to sports development in Luxembourg.
Max Englaro is a Strength & Conditioning, and Rehab Coach for FC Augsburg U23. Prior to this, he was Head of Performance in the Vienna Football Academy. Max observes how young children or adolescents are talent spotted and then developed into sports stars with the help of targeted training, nutrition, medication and sleep, to name but a few of the metrics. With increasing emphasis on sport sciences the measurements and data around elite performance can enhance results.
Christophe Ley, Associate Professor of Applied Statistics at the University of Luxembourg, President of the Luxembourg Statistical Society, President of ECAS (European Center for Advanced Statistics Courses) and leader of the international network S-TRAINING (bridging sports science and data science) is, in fact, the catalyst of these two week’s of Olympic conversations.
Christophe and Yves Dominicy (from last week’s show) have written books on statistics in sport. Through chosen measurements it is possible to use maths to predict outcomes of matches. The accuracy of such predictions naturally depends on many factors. For instance, handball will give you about 81% accuracy compared to football where, apparently, more luck is involved in scoring and there are generally fewer scores. So with football the outcome of positive prediction stands at about 65%.
Sport medicine and metrics is a fast growing industry, even for non-professional athletes, with the possibility of wearables and nutrition information available to us all.
However, data science and AI is also vital to help prevent injury. Christophe will be organising the international MathSport Conference next year in Luxembourg, June 2025.
https://math.uni.lu/midas/events/mathsports2025/
Aude Aguilaniu is now a physiotherapist and researcher, having previously been a world-class skier. Aude actually qualified for the Sotchi Winter Olympics in 2014 but was seriously injured just a few months before and so couldn’t participate. She talks about resilience building, injury prevention and her latest research project on injury prevention: Healthy Active.
Frank Müller is a former competitive basketball player and now a sport psychologist at the Sportlycée in Luxembourg. He is also an external expert for the LIHPS (Luxembourg Institute for High Performance in Sports) and the COSL (National Olympic Committee), providing psychological support to elite athletes and coaches.
Frank talks about his different responsibilities and how he coaches the minds of elite athletes for all possible eventualities. He also works with the group around that athlete which includes coaches, physios and parents.
As with so many things, being an elite athlete means that you sit in the centre of a team of experts. Nina Goedert, a sports physiotherapist, reiterates the absolute importance of communication in a cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Nina Goedert works with athletes of all ages and levels, those dealing with injury and those working on prevention strategies.
She has participated in multiple national and international sports events in her role as a sports physio, including the Tokyo Olympic Games 2021, World Games 2022, European Games 2019 & 2023, Games of the Small States of Europe 2019 & 2023, and several European Championships in Karate, etc.). Nina will be part of the team supporting the athletes in Paris this summer.
We wish all of the athletes the very best of luck this summer in the Olympic Games, and the supporting entourage too!
https://teamletzebuerg.lu/
https://www.fcaugsburg.de/games/?team=u23
www.sportlycee.lu
https://math.uni.lu/midas/events/mathsports2025/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-conzemius-328a9147/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophe-ley-b71607166/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aude-aguilaniu-24a05343/ -
"Working Hard is a Talent in itself" says Laurent Carol, Deputy Technical Director of the Luxembourg Olympic and Sport Committee, and former Olympic swimmer.
In the first of two shows on the Olympics, my guests this week are:
- Laurent Carnol - Deputy Technical Director, Luxembourg Olympic and Sport Committee; Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois (COSL), former Olympic swimmer
- Dr Yves Dominicy - Sport Statistician
- Loïc Hoscheit - ALAD Director - anti-doping agency Luxembour
- Marie Muller - former Olympic athlete - Judo
Laurent Carnol is the Deputy Technical Director of the Luxembourg Olympic and Sport Committee; Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois (COSL), and a former Olympian swimmer himself. Laurent took part in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016. In London, Laurent got to the semi finals in 200m breaststroke and was a finalist several times in the European Championships for the same event. Aside from his own successful career as an elite athlete, Laurent was a teacher at the Sport Lycée in Luxembourg, a lecturer at Lunex University and Dual Career Coordinator at the Luxembourg Institute for High Performance in Sport.
Laurent talks to us about the selection process which decides what delegation will eventually be going to the Olympics in Paris this summer. The qualification pathways and athlete preparation requires enormous effort not just from the athlete themselves, but also from the team around that athlete.
Yves Dominicy is a sport statistician and has written two books with Christophe Ley:
Science meets Sports: when statistics are more than numbers
Statistics Meets Sports: What We Can Learn from Sports Data
Sport analytics collects data to try to understand patterns therein. For instance, it is used for ranking and prediction, talent identification, scheduling and injury prevention.
Machine learning is now being used in tennis to profile the emotional expressions of tennis players and link that to performance. Yves also mentions that tennis rankings may become more accurate if based on serve / return etc. rather than points.
During Covid-19 in 2020, the International Swimming League organised a whole month of races providing an intense, short period to analyse the effect of multiple races on the performance of different profiles.
The use of data analytics is extremely valuable to prevent injury. It is now possible to run risk profiles to plan around potential injury points for a person.
Loïc Hoscheit is the Director of ALAD, Agence Luxembourgeoise antidopage.
Luxembourg's independent anti-doping agency tasked with supervising the country's most high-level athletes and competitions; they are tasked with ensuring Luxembourg sends out clean athletes. ALAD also offers guidance to all athletes with the potential to qualify for the Olympics and ensures a solid testing programme is carried out prior to the Games within this group.
The rules are complex, and keep changing. Naturally there is often a cloud of uncertainty around medication, but also supplements.
Marie Müller, a judoka (judo player), received a wild card from the IOC in 2008 where she finished 9th in the Beijing Games. Between 2009 and 2012, Marie entered the world top 16 for judo in her category and qualified for the London Games in 2012. There she lost in a dramatic fight for bronze and finished 5th.Marie’s entire career was overshadowed by injury, which ultimately made the decision to retire from judo for her in 2016.
Marie and Laurent both talk about not being able to do their sport since they retired, but have turned to other sport. Marie also talks about the pressure of weight in her sport.
https://teamletzebuerg.lu/
https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-5856-4
https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-9273-5
https://www.alad.lu/ -
Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute of Economics and Peace, talks about this year's Global Peace Index.
On this week’s episode is the Australian entrepreneur Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), and the first recipient of Luxembourg’s Outstanding Technology for Peace award in 2016. Steve gave the keynote speech on this year's Global Peace Index at the Luxembourg Peace Prize in MUDAM in June.
Steve created the software company IR in 1988 which went on to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2000. He also set up a Venture Capital fund. After making a substantial amount of money, his family moved into philanthropy, setting up The Charitable Foundation in 2000, the Global Peace Index in 2007, and the Institute for Economics and Peace in 2013.
The Charitable Foundation helps vulnerable people with Developmental Aid, with over 280 successful projects directly benefiting 3.7m people. Steve’s wife, Deborah, runs this and has expanded the charity to focus on working with thousands of traumatised children through play therapy.
The Institute for Economics and Peace came about through Steve’s observations of War related poverty, and a lack of research behind a ranking for the world’s most peaceful nations.
“What I realised as a businessman, when I think ‘What are the most peaceful nations in the world?’ and it hasn’t been done, [was] then how much do we know about peace? If you can’t measure something, can you truly understand it? If you can’t measure it, how do you know if your actions are helping you, or hindering you?”
Steve’s keynote at MUDAM presented the most recent Global Peace Index (GPI), which is the most comprehensive data analysis on peace, economic value, and trends. This work covers 99.7% of the world’s population and is supported by 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources.
The most peaceful country in the world is currently Iceland, followed by Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Singapore, with the bottom half composed of Israel, Mali, Syria, Russia, the Congo, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. When looking at the most and least peaceful nations, Steve mentions a widening gap known as ‘the global inequality of peace’, with the higher and lower ranking nations respectively continuing to improve or worsen. The most improved countries are El Salvador, the UAE, Greece, Myanmar, and Nicaragua, while the most deteriorated are Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine.
How is peace itself measured? Through ‘the absence of violence’ or ‘fear of violence’. Steve explains how the three domains of internal safety and security, levels of ongoing conflict, and levels of militarisation, join together to create the GPI, itself holding 23 different measures of peace.
Conflicts are also classified, with a conflict being a dispute involving more than 25 deaths but under 1000, as that then becomes a war. Terrorism occurs within conflicts, with 92% of terrorism based deaths occurring in that manner last year, but as an attack on civilians unengaged in the dispute and with the aim to send a greater message outside of those involved.
Although the current European climate feels unsettled, it still sits on top as the most peaceful continent, although two-thirds of the countries have fallen in terms of their own sense of peace, partly due to the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war including neighbouring tensions and increased military expenditures. With a global economy, local conflicts can have ripple effects worldwide, with refugees, industry, shipping and travel delays as just some of the reasons.
Moving to his entrepreneurial background, Steve advises companies to assess the risk factors for establishing expansions in foreign countries, such as GPI ranking or underlying peace factors to combat the instability of the global economy.
This year’s report is described as “the most sobering report we’ve put out”, with a peak since WWII of 56 conflicts, 92 countries engaged in beyond-border conflicts and the most since the GPI’s inception, with the majority of these remaining unsolved.
In the 1970s, 49% of all conflicts ended in a victory from either the Government or a rebel group, dropping to 9% in the 2010s. Peace agreements were a result of 23% of conflicts in the 1970s, dropping to 4% in the 2010s.
The trends of ending conflicts are typically through the lack of resolution or becoming a ‘frozen conflict’, which accounts for 87% of modern conflicts. The most peaceful resolution may not always maintain the greatest longevity.
Looking at the economic effects on counties with a lack of resolution or remaining in the frozen state, Steve recalls his own experience working in Laos, and the difficulty transporting goods or farmers being unsafe to plant crops due to militarisation. The manufacturing sector is placed on hold due to the transition to a war economy.
“The defence industry is not in itself bad, because obviously we do not live in a peaceful world.” The defence industry creates peace in protecting from outside aggressors, as do alliances, but spending an extra $10bn in Steve’s example of a battleship, is useful if used, while remaining unused creates extra spending in labour and additional maintenance where the money could be diverted to business stimulus, education, and health, which would be more productive economic outcomes. The question is not in the necessary defence spending, but on the right balance with other sectors.
The cost of violence for the global economy in 2023 was $19.1tn and the equivalent of 13.5% of global GDP, which when reduced by 10% equals $1.9tn or the same as adding 3 new economies into the world. Another way to look at that would be the 1% or $190bn is roughly the same cost as overseas developmental spending last year, yet the most striking statistic, 0.1% of that, is the peace keeping expenditure of 2023. “The message I have” says Steve, “is how can we put more money into preventative measures, particularly in the areas of conflicts which are easy to solve, or conflicts which haven’t erupted yet but where the conditions are fragile. If we could spend more money in those areas I think that would be excellent.”
Countries at risk of conflict expansion including Egypt, Israel, Iran, Jordan, and Lebanon are likely to create ripple effects of recession, refugees, and terrorism, into local and global economies. Concerning refugees, the flow based on conflicts is increasing, from 75m at the start of GPI calculations to 120m currently. As conflicts develop over time and territories, refugees are unlikely to return soon after their departure, unlike natural disaster based immigration. When assessing common patterns of violence in different areas, Steve comments on the differences between the example of Middle Eastern countries locked into war based violence compared to Latin America under cartel or gang related violence.
However, it is not all negative news. Homicide is improving yearly with 112 countries scoring significantly better than previous years. The civilian perception of crime is also improving, with 96 countries noticing a positive trend last year.
Steve notes that “How you fight the war shapes how it goes after that.”What is the reconstruction program? When looking at Iraq or Afghanistan the large amount of money invested into reconstruction was not done correctly, and in a high tension environment this can lead to a rehashing of conflict. The ideal way of solving conflicts is not only through the military, but also a humanitarian approach. Assessing the grievances of the civilians and other involved groups; seeing how they can be satisfied is more likely to lead to sustained peace.
Another talk point was in the nature of having allies, determining where your natural allies are, specifically looking at China. China, like every country has allies with which it works well with, but its natural allies lie more with advanced Western democracies due to their similarities in terms of philosophy and approaches, rather than Authoritarian regimes.
Over a lifetime of philanthropic work, Steve credits watching the transformation of people’s lives behind his hope and drive to continue carrying out his missions. A small act such as increasing water supply can massively increase the wealth of an impoverished population in a remote area and make a huge difference into people’s lives. Other highlights for him include the rehabilitation of child soldiers in Uganda or water projects in Laos dropping death rate and disease levels. When living in the West, we see the images of these conflicts, but Steve says “we don’t really understand how horrific the impact actually is.” For an average of less than $20 a head, a life can be saved, making the results “staggering”.
Despite language and culture barriers, Steve describes the logistics and ground work as “pretty simple”. His foundations will partner with other groups already working on the ground in the affected areas, as well as always having a trusted translator. Throughout all his travels, Uganda and Kenya are the countries he finds most fascinating, but still sees an issue in Africa’s governance, specifically corruption.
Steve says that after a certain amount of money, there isn’t much more that one needs. As his legacy, Steve says his work is “not about me, it’s a ripple effect. We do things in our lives that have ripples that carry on. Your legacy is really the result of your actions. Thinking too much about your personal legacy isn’t even smart.
https://www.economicsandpeace.org/about/
https://luxembourgpeaceprize.org/
https://thecharitablefoundation.org/
https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf -
Three phenomenal women in space share their stories with us this weekend, in honour of Asteroid Day — a UN-recognised initiative raising awareness about the potential impacts, and opportunities, of these marvels of astronomy.
Asteroid Day takes place on 30 June, the anniversary of the Tunguska event in 1908 where a meteor destroyed a landmass of about 2,150 km2 (a little smaller than the landmass of Luxembourg) of forest in Siberia, Russia.
Asteroid Day was co-founded in 2014 by physicist Stephen Hawking, B612 Foundation president Danica Remy, astronaut Rusty Schweickart, film-maker Grigorij Richters and astrophysicist (and Queen guitarist) Brian May. Now recognised by the UN, Asteroid Day is celebrated globally to raise awareness about asteroids and their potential impact on Earth. It also raises awareness of the potential to mine asteroids as we move towards a space economy.
My guests this week are:
- Julie Payette - a Canadian engineer, scientist and astronaut who also served as Governor General of Canada from 2017 to 2021
- Wanda Díaz-Merced - astronomer using using sonification
- Hoor Abdelraman Al Maazmi - space science researcher at the UAE Space Agency
- Maher Kalaji - Board Director of the Asteroid Foundation and founder of the newly to be announced Luxembourg Rocket Society.
Julie Payette joined the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in 1992 as a member of the Canadian Astronaut Corps. She completed two spaceflights, logging more than 25 days in space. Dr. Payette also served as capsule communicator (CapCom) at NASA Mission Control Center in Houston and from 2000 to 2007 as CSA's chief astronaut. Julie was named COO for the Montreal Science Centre in July 2013. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Queen Elizabeth II had approved the appointment of Payette as the next governor general of Canada which she started that October until January 2021.
Wanda Díaz-Merced was born in Puerto Rico and lost her eyesight gradually through her teenage years into early adulthood. She talks about this experience and her long journey to become an astronomer who uses sonification to turn large data sets into audible sound. Currently, Wanda works at the European Gravitational Observatory Cascina, Italy, where she is the Director of the Arecibo Observatory.
Dr Díaz-Merced received an internship with Robert Candey, an incredible mentor to her, at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, USA, and went on to complete a Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Glasgow. Wanda was then accepted as a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town.
Wanda’s work has also included collaborations with the European Gravitational Observatory proposal REINFORCE and the National Astronomical Observatory Japan (NAOJ).
Dr Díaz-Merced creates sonification software to perceive space in a different sensory way.
Hoor Abdelraman AlMaazmi is a space science researcher at the UAE Space Agency and a member of the Emirates Mars Mission science team since 2017. The Mars mission, named ‘Amal’ or ‘Hope,’ launched in 2020.
The UAE is going to send a spaceship to explore the solar system’s main asteroid belt due to launch in 2028. For this mission, they will look at six asteroids with the target to land on the seventh- Justitia. This asteroid is thought to be one of only two known red asteroids and potentially laden with organic substances.
The aim for this MBR Explorer is to deploy a landing craft to study the surface of Justitia fully developed by private UAE start-up companies.
https://asteroidfoundation.org/
https://royalsociety.org/about-us/who-we-are/diversity-inclusion/case-studies/scientists-with-disabilities/wanda-diaz-merced/
https://space.gov.ae/en/initiatives-and-projects/uae-mission-to-asteroid-belt-ema
https://www.instagram.com/uaespaceagency?igsh=ZXgwcnR3dTNqOHFs
https://x.com/uaespaceagency?s=21 -
Anyone living in Luxembourg will have seen the Nation Branding ‘Let's Make it Happen’, but where did this come from, and what does it stand for?
My guests this week are
Béryl Koltz - Head of Luxembourg Image Brand
Sarah Pitt - Luxembourg for Tourism
Lena Mårtensson - Luxinnovation
Hélène Jacuszin - Research Luxembourg
Catherine Decker - Ministry of Culture, KulturLX & UNESCO
Kamel Amroune - CEO of The Dots
Cécilia Zunt Radot - Director of LËT'Z Arles - Luxembourg photography award
“LuXembourg - Let’s Make It Happen” came to life in 2013 as a cross-sectorial facilitator and to aid the global promotion of Luxembourg. The LMIH team work with many different stakeholders including LuxInnovation, Visit Luxembourg, Research Luxembourg and the Ministry of Culture / KulturLX to name but a few.
Their role is to streamline the messaging of Luxembourg within the country, within industry, culture and abroad. After plenty of working groups and citizen participation, the values which they believe define Luxembourg are: dynamic, open and reliable.
"Bound by Creativity, Sustained by Diversity”
This motto emphasises the priorities that Luxembourg has defined in a cross-sectorial manner to invest in: Creativity, Diversity and Sustainability. These 3 priorities guid all partnerships and projects for www.LMIH.lu
If you want to see if your idea or company can be supported by the LMIH team, alongside their website you can find out more details on www.luxembourg.lu
Sarah Pitt talks about the work of Luxembourg for Tourism, also known as Visit Luxembourg, whose mission it is to promote Luxembourg as a tourist destination internationally. The latest collection of Visit Luxembourg publications including maps, guides and magazines can be ordered for free in four languages on https://www.visitluxembourg.com/plan-your-stay/publications
More details are available on www.luxembourgtravel.lu and www.visitluxembourg.com
Cather Decker, from the Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg, has extensive international experience working with the UN and in Foreign Affairs also. As Secretary General of the Luxembourg Commission for UNESCO, she develops and promotes cultural and natural heritage beyond Luxembourg’s borders. She was the founding president of the Luxembourg Arts Council, Kultur lx.
Lena Mårtensson’s talks about Luxinnovation’s role in promoting Luxembourg’s economy abroad as an attractive business destination for international companies. This is also linked with the positioning of the country within its national branding initiative. Naturally they also support companies within Luxembourg and helping them move abroad if that is their wish.
Hélène Jacuszin tells us about the work of Research Luxembourg and how their remit handles all of the research institutes of Luxembourg. She explains the advantages of a small ecosystem and how that can help close collaboration.
Kamel Amroune, CEO of The Dots, is organising Nexus 2050 which is about to start next week, with the aim of attracting people from the international tech field to Luxembourg. This event is being supported by LMIH.
Cécilia Zunt Radot is the Director of LetzArles, the Luxembourg Photography Award. She talks about taking great photographers from Luxembourg to this global photography award in Arles and placing Luxembourg on the map there.
https://lmih.lu/en/home/
https://www.visitluxembourg.com/letzebuerg-dat-ass-vakanz?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIm-ionOPuhgMVk6doCR2L7Q5LEAAYASAAEgLNCfD_BwE
https://www.linkedin.com/in/beryl-koltz-7b40b3b5/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-pitt/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-m%C3%A5rtensson-89200911/
https://luxinnovation.lu/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenejacuszin/
https://www.researchluxembourg.org/en/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-decker-58b89424/
https://www.unesco.org/en
https://www.kulturlx.lu/en/
https://www.thedots.lu/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamelamroune/
https://www.nexus2050.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliaradot/
https://www.luxembourgtravel.lu/news-and-perspectives/visit-luxembourg-publications-2024 -
Proactive wellbeing from school to adulthood – you're at your best when you work with your character strengths.
Frederika Roberts, known as "The Happiness Speaker", brings the science of wellbeing to life through applied positive psychology. Her background as a teacher served to launch her work into whole school wellbeing, for both students and teachers. The idea is to work with character strengths for wellbeing. Her method helps children (and adults) learn the vocabulary necessary to discover one’s own character strengths.
Frederika Roberts ran an online challenge for International Day of Happiness in March, and Klárka Penzešová won the competition.
Klárka Penzešová is a massage therapist based in Maison Paramédicale du Pafendall. Her studies include Ayurvedic massage, Breuss massage, the spine-focused Dorn method physiotherapy manipulation and Theta healing.
Dana Moldoveanu Brandes is President of the Positive Psychology Association Luxembourg (PPL), a Psychologist and Coach who works as part of the European Commission's psycho-social team, and as an Occupational Clinician, Coaching Psychologist, EMDR Therapist and Trainer via her organisation, ProActive Mind.
In this conversation we talk about the increasing need to ensure our mental health is robust enough to buffer the challenges of an increasingly busy life, with little down-time.
Further information on Frederika's work:
BOOKS
The Big Book of Whole School Wellbeing (2021), by Kimberley Evans, Thérèse Hoyle, Frederika Roberts & Bukky Yusuf (Editors) with Foreword by Andrew Cowley
For Flourishing's Sake: Using Positive Education to Support Character Development and Well-being (2020), by Frederika Roberts with Foreword by Andrew Cowley
Character Toolkit for Teachers: 100+ Classroom and Whole School Character Education Activities for 5-11 Year Olds (2018), by Frederika Roberts and Elizabeth Wright, with Foreword by Kristján Kristjánsson
Recipe for Happiness: 9 Essential Ingredients for a Happy Life (2013) by Frederika Roberts
STRENGTH CARDS
Character Toolkit Strength Cards (2020) by Frederika Roberts and Elizabeth Wright.
PODCAST
Check out the For Flourishing's Sake podcast - a weekly Monday-morning wellbeing boost for teachers and school leaders, available on all the major podcasting platforms and from the podcast website www.forflourishingssake.com.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danamoldoveanu/
https://www.ppl.lu/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Whole-School-Wellbeing-Corwin/dp/1529764254
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flourishings-Sake-Education-Development-Well-being/dp/1787750248
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Character-Toolkit-Teachers-Activities-11-Year-Olds/dp/1785924907
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Recipe-Happiness-Essential-Ingredients-Happy/dp/0957438370
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Character-Toolkit-Strength-Elizabeth-Wright/dp/1787752739
https://forflourishingssake.com/
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
Please do subscribe via Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too — as it helps others find the podcast.
Tune in to The Lisa Burke Show on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Still slightly taboo in the workplace, and still often unrecognised by medical professionals, perimenopause is a long and difficult stage of life for many women. Lisa and Sasha are joined in the Today Radio studio by a dream team of guests to discuss this long-overdue topic — including a menopause coach, a preventative health entrepreneur, a medical and health management specialist in menopause, as well as a sexologist and perimenopause specialist.
Perimenopause and menopause are stages of a woman's life that are becoming more present in conversations socially and even in the workplace. But still, so many women go through perimenopause, suffering a multitude of symptoms, without realising it. It’s difficult to untangle symptoms from the heavy stressors of life sometimes, as perimenopause hits us during particularly intense periods of our lives, and continues for years. During this time, we many be raising children, managing a household with a career, caring for parents or other family members, living away from ‘home’, and so there is very little time for ‘us’, to listen and feel what is going on inside our own bodies. The irony is that when life demands all of us, perimenopause can significantly diminish our natural capacity for work and resilience.
After a weekly news round-up with Sasha, my guests this week are Guy Brandenbourger, Diane Elsen, Annabelle Parkhouse and Victoria Honey.
Guy Brandenbourger was a Partner at PwC Luxembourg from 2011, led their healthcare sector including the government and public sector practice in Luxembourg. Guy is now the founder and Partner of his own company called Health A Gesondheet, Luxembourg Blue Zone (HAG) dedicated to developing a preventative health care structure in Luxembourg, aiming to become the 6th blue zone in the world.
Diane Elsen is a certified menopause coaching specialist. After 26 years working within a European institution, raising 2 children, helping her partner manage a successful restaurant she was hit by post traumatic depression at 48, at the peak of her career. With no answers from her GP, Diane threw herself into researching peri-menopause.
Annabelle Parkhouse has just completed Medical School at Imperial College London. She also completed an MBBS diploma and an Intercalated bachelor’s in health management at Imperial Business School. Her thesis was on “Making Menopause Manageable, barriers regarding the safe discussions of menopausal symptom experience and management."
Victoria Honey, a sexologist and perimenopause specialist, supports female executives, who want to manage the emotional changes that come with peri/menopause so that they can flourish in their careers and live unshakeable lives.
Menopause is still rather a taboo topic in Luxembourg, and the symptoms of perimenopause are still catching women by surprise. It is frequently only after a woman hits menopause that they realise they have lived with many of the symptoms. 86% of women aged 50 to 65 experience at least one symptom (of a list of at least 34), and almost half have not discussed the subject with their doctor, 60% talk to their gynaecologist and only 39% talk to their partner.
As Annabelle says, going through the period of perimenopause to post-menopause is actually a privilege, but it’s not always easy for women.
Medication alters depending on where you live and who your doctors are. There is so much more to learn about the effects of menopause on the body and we are a long way from personalised hormonal treatment.
Although, we have moved on from the WHI study to disband the link between HRT and breast cancer. Moreover, HRT used at the right time can reduce cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Diane Elsen talks about her own very difficult experience of perimenopause, not knowing what she was going through at the time, and nor did any of her healthcare professionals spot it. During her many years of research, Diane has found number of sources she would recommend to others, including Dr Louise Newson, the Balance app or Balance-menopause.com with the list of symptoms, Dr Lisa Mosconi (The Menopause Brain), Dr Avrum Bluming & Carol Tavris (Oestrogen Matters), Dr Mary Claire Haver (The New Menopause) and guideline sources from EMAS (European Menopause and Andropause Society), the BMS (British Menopause Society) and the IMS (International Menopause society). You can follow Diane on instagram (Womanhood Luxembourg).
Menopause can significantly affect women at work: those with symptoms have a 60% drop in productivity versus women without symptoms (FORBES 2019), 1 in 2 women say that menopause has negative effects on their work, and 21% have to stop working for several days
It turns out there are many risks too that so many women don’t realise are associated with menopause such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and sleep disorders. Heat flashes, one of the more commonly known symptoms of menopause (70-80% of women), can lead to cardiovascular disease, night sweats may lead to silent nocturnal hypoglycaemia (type 2 diabetes), insomnia can lead to depression, muscular and joint pain to osteoporosis and fractures and brain fog can lead to dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
In Luxembourg we only have one bone density scanner, with a waiting list of 1.5 years. We really need to have about 7 such devises for this population.
Guy Brandenbourger is working hard to put forward a manifesto of very actionable steps in order to help everyone in society together.
An easy one is for GPs to conduct annual medical menopause check-ups. Guy also suggests that from the age of 40 women should have a complete cardiac checkup. From 50 (I would personally say younger, being personally affected by this) he suggests having a mandatory bone mineral density scan.
Of course, part of the issue is that medical practitioners are not very knowledgeable about menopause as the information and research unfolds. There are personal issues we as women must take care of too: our own nutrition (with enough protein) to stave off sarcopenia, plus exercise for bone density and sarcopenia.
Victoria works with women in leadership roles and also highlights the need for diversity and equality in all its forms. When women are suffering from perimenopause symptoms and lower self-confidence, she encourages them to put their own needs first, and then other things can fall into places in a pyramid behind this.
Victoria explains that there are so many different factors which affect the way we experience menopause. These obviously include genetics, nutrition, race and ethnicity, but there are other factors such as our socio-economic situation and how we arrange our lifestyle (smoking, alcohol, sleep etc). As part of her work with corporates, Victoria engages with the women and leaders to create menopause policies, workshops and to make small adjustments to the workplace to reduce a woman’s uncomfortableness.
Do let us know about your own perimenopause journeys. -
For next week's World Environment Day, Lisa's guests discuss the state of the climate today, myriad climate policy boards, and the inclusion of the youth voice. There is an incredible array of resources and opportunities for young people in Luxembourg on the subject and countless organisations working together on the issue — but is it enough?
We have all noticed how wet this spring has been. Conversation in my circles have noted the long-term predictions of climate change on our weather patterns and seasons: more humidity, increased storms and rainfall in this geographical zone.
The mention of climate change in the media is at risk of becoming jaded as it’s on-going, requiring swift action but that action is sloth-like due to the need for global buy-in. People tune out if they feel they cannot make a difference. Not everyone can be an activist.
And so, we rely on the scientific research to influence policy makers from around the world to act. Even if they agree to act, that policy then needs to be implemented in each country. And so the ultimate trickle down is that we, as citizens, need to be nudged into behavioural change that is the decision without requiring thought.
My guests this week range from those who have spent many years researching climate related topics and climate policy-making, to the youth voice who were given the opportunity to be present at a COP event.
Dr Andrew Ferrone is a physical climatologist, Andrew works at the interface of climate science and policy. He is Head of the Meteorological Service of the Administration of Technical Agricultural Services (ASTA) in Luxembourg, President of Luxembourg's Climate Policy Observatory (OPC) and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Spuerkeess. He is also the Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the Head of the Luxembourg delegation to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and coordinates the European Union’s team of negotiators for scientific issues under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Andrew talks about his vast experience at these conferences and how to try to get consensus between countries with very different objectives, whether that be due to the stage of industrial development they are in, oil-rich countries or if they’re islands at risk of disappearing.
Claudia Hitaj is an advisor on climate change and sustainable finance at the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity. Her work straddles economics, environmental policy and making the youth voice heard. The Ministry’s Climate Youth Delegate Programme will bring two climate youth delegates, Frida Thorsteinsdottir and Natasha Lepage, to COP 29 to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan this November. They’ll both have a chance to participate in a training program at COP29 and the UNFCCC for youth delegates from countries all over the world.
Bartłomiej Nowak, 18 years old, took part in the National Junk Fuerscher Contest in 2022 and 2023, Luxembourg Informatics Olympiad in 2023, was awarded participation in COP28 in Dubai, where he met the Luxembourgish delegation and presented his project in the BENELUX-EIB pavilion in the blue zone.
Arnfridur (Frida) Thorsteinsdottir, 17 years old student at ISL, was a finalist in the Jonk Fuerscher Contest 2024 due to her project on fish migration in Iceland. She will be travelling to COP29 in Baku with Natasha.
Federica Maestri work with the Fondation Jeunes Scientifiques Luxembourg and talks about their commitment to sending young scientists to incredible science fairs and science events all around the world.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day
https://www.jugendrot.lu/cyd-2/
https://fjsl.lu/
https://unfccc.int/cop29 -
Prof. Marginson from Oxford University visited Luxembourg this week and spoke with Lisa at length on a variety of topics around education and geopolitics.
Sasha Kehoe kicks off the show with the weekly reflection of global news stories. Prof. Marginson joins us with his own perspectives having lived in the U.K. for the last decade, but also having visited New Caledonia, French territory, which is relatively close to his homeland of Australia (closer than France anyhow).
Simon Marginson is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Oxford, Director of the ESRC/RE Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE), Joint Editor-in-Chief of Higher Education, and a Professorial Associate of the Melbourne Centre for Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne. Simon’s research is focused primarily on global and international higher education, higher education in East Asia, global science, and the contributions of higher education.
In this conversation we start with his own personal experience of potentially being drafted into the Vietnam war as a student in Australia. Simon spent his first degree deeply embedded in student politics and journalism. His route to becoming a Professor at Oxford was nonsequitous. Prof. Marginson's academic career was sparked by a highly acclaimed Ph.D. which he completed, part-time, over 8 years.
And nowadays, Prof. Marginson is as deeply motivated to connecting global dots to observe the changing face of higher education across the world as he ever was.
On how one gets to Oxford, the answer is sheer hard work. There are no short-cuts to brilliance. The students he looks for will be self-driven, extremely well-read and come with their own ideas.
We discuss a range of topics including the open-source intrinsic nature of science research, and how that has been reshaped and blocked by political decisions; the rise of south-east Asian universities in global rankings. Indeed what even are global university rankings and do they matter? Where does the superpower Russia sit in today's university picture?
For those of us based in Luxembourg, what is his view on European universities who don't seem to sit that high up on the university league tables - why is this?
How do universities serve the common good? Is the cost worth the effort?
As always, I would love to have your feedback on the good and bad of your university experience.
Please do subscribe to the podcast too, via Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too — as it helps others find the podcast.
Tune in to The Lisa Burke Show on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
The Echternach Hopping Procession, on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage list, celebrates the life of St. Willibrord. On today's show, Lisa is joined by guests from Ireland, the UK and Luxembourg — to discuss the life of St. Willibrord via his links with these three countries.
The Echternach Hopping Procession, on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage list, celebrates the life of St. Willibrord. On today's show, Lisa is joined by guests from Ireland, the UK and Luxembourg — to discuss the life of St. Willibrord via his links with these three countries.
Despite the 'high humidity', as Raoul Scholtes put it, there was another exceptional turnout for this year's Sprangpressessioun (or 'Hopping Procession') in Echternach, which pays homage to Saint Willibrord. This Anglo-Saxon Benedictine monk is revered as the founder of Echternach Abbey and every year is honoured for his gift of curing illness.
Ambassador Jean McDonald, Ambassador of Ireland to Luxembourg, hosted a delegation from County Carlow, celebrating the links between Saint Willibrord and Carlow. Councillor Andrea Dalton and Dermot Mulligan, Curator of the Carlow Museum, also joined in studio to discuss the deepening re-connections between Luxembourg and Carlow through their shared history with Saint Willibrord.
HE Fleur Thomas, British Ambassador to Luxembourg, hosted HE Ambassador Christopher Trott, Britain's Ambassador to the Holy See, for their very first Sprangpressessioun experience. Providing a bit of background into St. Willibrord's ancestry — Ambassador Trott detailed the saint's Northumbrian origins, before his travels brought him to Ireland, the Netherlands and then Luxembourg.
Ambassador Trott also talks about his work as a diplomat in the Vatican, and the immense 'intelligence network' the Vatican has globally through priests on the ground, often in places where diplomats cannot visit or live.
Patrick Dondelinger, Head of Studies for Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Culture of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, talks about the importance of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage label for the Hopping Procession, and what this means for one who experiences the 'rite'.
Raoul Scholtes — a member of the procession's organisational committee and Vice-president of the Willibrodusbauveräin (Willibrod building society) organisation responsible for the procession — ends with a call for more volunteers! Help is always welcome, and indeed it would also be valuable to make a couple of positions professional (i.e. paid).
Read here for even more details on the history of Luxembourg's Echternach Hopping Procession. -
Join us as we jump into another discussion about books and culture, with Vanessa Phelan, Sarah Tapp and Sasha Kehoe.
Hello and welcome to book show #2 with Vanessa Phelan and Sarah Tapp. This week Sasha Kehoe also joins us and we begin with a reflection of some of the news stories of the week.
As we move to books, I start with a little quiz of words relating to books and book lovers. Are you a ‘librocubicularist’ for instance? (Someone who loves to read in bed).
Now onto books with my ‘book bosomed’ friends (carrying a book at all times) and, as with our first episode, we manage to talk about a lot of books, but we also move onto art in places, and podcast recommendations.
Here are some of the books we talk about:
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
On Earth we’re briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
The Wife’s Tale by Aida Edemariam
This is what is Sounds Like - What the music you love says about you by Susan Rogers
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
Oh my God what a complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
The Women by Kristin Hannah
You are Here by David Nicholls
Funny Story by Emily Henry
One Day by David Nicholls
Book Lovers Emily Henry
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Do let us know what books you enjoy and if there are any in particular from this list that stand out to you.
Additionally, we will throw in some podcasts and other cultural references from time to time.
[attachment id="99201934" __caption="The Lisa Burke Show"]
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Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Europe is aging, sagging in its efficiency, falling behind. How can we fix this?
Philippe-Emmanuel Partsch comes from a long line of Law Professors, who were forced to move country due to the changing political climate of Europe through the last century. He was raised knowing the fragility of Europe, alongside its potential.
Philippe-Emmanuel is a lawyer who has served at the European Court of Justice, private practice now at Arendt, university teaching and research. With over thirty years of working knowledge, he is well placed to consider how the European Union is functioning right now and its place in the context of global competition.
Brexit and increasing populism encouraged Philippe-Emmanuel to write a book due to his growing concern for the evolution of European society as it has steadily declined: ‘The Five Labours of Europe - a Europe that will make us Grow’.
Anne Calteux, Head of the European Commission Representation in Luxembourg, talks through a sizeable piece of commissioned work culminating in the paper by Enrico Letta, 'Much more than a market,
SPEED, SECURITY, SOLIDARITY Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU Citizens'
There are large swathes of overlap in the conclusions reached by Philippe-Emmanuel and Enrico Letta. Notably, that the internal market is no longer fit for purpose and Europe is in danger of regression. Europe, if taken as a whole, has a population of about 450 million people, compared to 330 million in the USA. Our landmass is about half that of the USA. This could provide opportunity if handled more dynamically.
In his book, Philippe-Emmanuel talks about Europe's sluggish productivity and wealth per hour creation compared to other parts of the world and how we can break down barriers to trade with member states more efficiently. He reminds us that 99.2% of businesses in Europe are SMEs with 5-6 people employed. Philippe-Emmanuel sets out clear potential and reachable goals to increase income and GDP, reduce unemployment and poverty in the coming years.
Deficiencies in research and development and innovation (R&D&I) is another clear beacon in both the book and paper. Currently, not enough money is being put into R&D&I in Europe and this needs to change now if we are to hope to keep pace with other nations. The cost of patent registration is much greater in the EU compared to the US. Philippe-Emmanuel is a fan of the Nordic approach to have lower taxation on Intellectual Property income.
We talk about the need to change financial structures to reinvigorate seed investment and private funding. Philippe-Emmanuel believes Euorpe does set the gold standard for some regulations.
Energy and Defence are two major areas where Europe needs to become more self-sufficient - we all learned this is recent year. And we have needed stronger trans-European transport links for decades. Did you know that the train between Luxembourg and Brussels got slower over the last 30 years?!
And all of this conversation is capped with a round-up of the week's global news with Sasha Kehoe. - Vis mere
