Author: Mette Ahlefeldt

We have put together a splendid event for the music lovers of the OUSL.

The Ukrainian violinist Evgenia Avdieieva and pianist Katerina Avdieiva will offer us an hour’s programme of violin virtuoso pieces by Bach, Sarasate, Wieniawsky, Paganini and others, at Pianos Kelly large piano premises.

Afterwards the audience will enjoy a glass of crémant kindly offered by Pianos Kelly. Traditionally, we will then be a smaller group who go for an in formal meal with the artists at nearby Brasserie O.

There is no entrance fee, instead there will be a collection in aid of Ukraine: 🇺🇦 ‘AID RAID’ 🇺🇦
so kindly bring generous amounts of cash for 🇺🇦 AID RAID! 🇺🇦

Evgenia Avdieieva, a Ukrainian refugee living in Luxembourg since late 2022, studied at the M. Lysenko School in Kyiv (2013–2018) and later at the Central Music School attached to the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. She spent two years at the Yehudi Menuhin School, studying with Alex Redington and Roman Mints, and has won prizes in several international competitions including Auer, Lviv, Stankovich and Kogan. Since 2023 she has performed together with her mother Katerina—who teaches piano at a local music school—as Duo Avdieieva. 🎻

Katerina Avdieieva, born in Kyiv, studied for twelve years at the National Music Academy of Ukraine and has worked as a concert pianist, accompanist and teacher in Kyiv, Lviv, Sharm el-Sheikh and Jordan. Now a refugee in Luxembourg, she lives in Echternach with her daughter Evgenia and is currently employed as a piano teacher at the local music school. She has also participated in numerous international competitions and performs with her daughter as Duo Avdieieva. 🎹

Date and time: Thursday 28 May 2026 at 18h30

Venue: Pianos Kelly, 17, rue de Munsbach, L-6941 Niederanven.

Dinner: After the concert – and crémant – there is the option to join the artists for a congenial dinner at nearby ‘Brasserie O’, 2A Rue de Munsbach, Niederanven 6941. (no pre-payment, individual orders)

Costs: The concert is free because Geoffrey Piper is generously covering the musicians’ expenses and Simon Kelly is offering his premises for free – and the post-concert bubbly, but prior reservation is necessary due to demand:

Reservations: kindly drop a line to chair@oxford.lu with cc to iryna.bahno@ukrainians.lu if you would like to reserve a seat for the concert. In the email, kindly add whether you would also like us to reserve a seat for you at Brasserie O for the meal afterwards

Organisers: The event is arranged in collaboration with the musicians, our member, Geoffrey Piper, as well as Simon Kelly, Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig and AID RAID!

Katerina Avdieiva & Evgenia Avdieieva

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🇺🇦AID RAID (not to be confused with AIR RAID!!) is truly remarkable. It was established by 3 Lithuanians (note: from a country which understands Putin much better then the west) shortly after the invasion. A tiny team buy vehicles, have them maintained, drive them to Ukraine and leave all but one on the spot (which includes the front line) and carry humanitarian goods and childrens’ toys in large quantities. AID RAID also organises events of all kinds in Mensdorf and surroundings which are attracting more than 100 people at a time.🇺🇦

We are delighted to present this long awaited conference with Professor A B A leading authority on the Roman world, Prof. B will talk about his pioneering work on the administration of the Roman Empire, and most notably on the Vindolanda Tablets.
The Vindolanda tablets are along Britain’s and Northern Europe’s oldest surviving handwritten documents, offering unparalleled insights into life of Roman Britain, including the earliest known birthday party invitation written by a woman. Discovered in 1973 at the Roman fort of Vindolanda, they have transformed our understanding of the early Roman occupation of Britain and (military) life in Northern Europe.
We will hear how Professor B and his team enlisted the aid of medical imaging facilities of the Oxford University medical faculty to help in the task of deciphering the tablets.

This conference is organised in collaboration between Oxford Alumni, INRA and partners. It ties in with Camsoc-organised event with Professor Martin Millett 19 June, in an Oxbridge miniseries on Ancient History. Members of both societies are warmly invited to attend both events.

Venue: The Bowman Conference will take place in the large auditorium of Musée Dräi Eechelen, 5, Park Dräi Eechelen, L-1499 Luxembourg.
There is no need to sign up for the talk as there is free access.

AFTER THE TALK, the OUSL is fortunate to have the opportunity to continue the evening over dinner with the speaker for a limited number of guests. See details below.

DINNER: We have secured the nearby  Restaurant Feierwon, for an exclusive post-conference dinner with Professor Bowman. The dinner is limited to 20-25 seats, so if you wish to join, do not hesitate to register.

Dinner Sign-up: Apéro, three-course menu with wine at €110/pp. Please write an email to Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig and Bob Kieffer

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Alan Bowman, Professor emeritus is a historian of the Roman empire with particular research interests in the documentary evidence from Egypt and northern Britain. Positions he has held include tutor in Ancient History at Christ Church, University of Oxford, Camden Professor of Ancient History and Principal of Brasenose College, President of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, Vice-President (Humanities) of the British Academy (elected Fellow in 1994). 

So, to sum up:
Date: Wednesday 6 May 2026
Time: TALK : 18.30.
Dinner: c. 20.00
Venue for talk: Musee 3 Eecheleen, hosted by the National Museum.
Venue for Dinner (must be pre-booked): Restaurant de Feierwon, 6 Rue du Fort Niedergruenewald, 2226 Kirchberg, Luxembourg.

Organisers: INRA (organiser), /MNAHA(host)/OUSL(organiser)/University of Luxembourg OUSL (co-host) in cooperation with INRA (Institut national de recherches archéologiques)

Do join us for a convivial time with ‘the other place’.
Kindly sign up with with John Speed (president@cambridgesociety.lu) with cc Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig.

Date: Thursday 30 April, 19h,

Venue: La Reserve, 23 Av. Pasteur, 2311 Limpertsberg Luxembourg

Well met!

First the Conference on green cities:
Green Cities and Urbanism: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

We are invited to this creative conference on how we can shape our cities in order that they meet the multiple demands of city living while also improving green, sustainable living.

Venue: Bibliothèque nationale du Luxembourg,
37D avenue John F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg

Sign-up: free entrance, so feel free to come!

Organisers: the Conférence Saint-Yves and the Association luxembourgeoise pour le droit de l’environnement (ALDE), in collaboration with the BnL.

For more info, click here

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The other event on the same date, 23 April, is with IMD:

We have been invited to an IMD conference:
Legacy and Longevity: family businesses and long-term performance.

Louis de Schorlemer, an IMD Alumni and Leon Kirch, Chief Investment Officer of European Capital Partners (ECP) will discuss the theme.

Venue: Golf-Club Grand-Ducal de Luxembourg, 1, route de Trèves, L-2633 SENNINGERBERG

Date & Time: 23 April 2026, 18.30-22h30 (cocktail reception begins 20h30)

Tickets: €60

For all further information, please click

Register now →

You are cordially invited to a visit to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg on Monday, 20 April, at 10:00 a.m –a regular working day, we know, but this is because the ECJ only offers a visitor service at such times.

Please note that we are only allowed a limited group of around 20 participants. Places are on a first come, first served bases, so do not hesitate to sign up.

We will be taken on a guided tour of the ECJ, and enjoy a short talk on the institution including a Q&A session, before gathering for a delicious lunch.

Lunch: Following the tour & talk, we will have the privilege of enjoying lunch in the Judges’ Restaurant of the European Court of Justice. This is kindly arranged by ECJ Judge Dr. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, who – unless called away at the last minute – will also do us the honour of joining us for the lunch. (Menu to follow).

The OUSL extends its sincere thanks to Dr. Tichy-Fisslberger for making this possible!
The Judges’ Restaurant is not just an exclusive venue, located on the 27th floor, as it is, it offers a stunning view of the city!

Ticket price for lunch, and choice of lunch menu: to follow shortly
Sign-up: with Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig , and cc to Bob Kieffer.

Deadline: We will need to give a list of attendees to the ECJ, so RSVP by 10 April 2026.

ECJ security measures: The tour begins at 10:00 a.m. sharp. Please arrive on time and bring your passport or other ID.

Birds & Buffalo at Menster Brill Nature Reserve

This event is still being finalised, but this is the working plan :

Louise Benjamin (Cambridge) and Philip Birget (Oxford) have teamed up to make us a great outdoor day in the Menster Brill Nature Reserve. 

We will meet in the morning (time tbc) and have the chance to observe at close quarters the careful work of monitoring and recording local birdlife including bird ringing. Afterwards we hope to make our way to the nearby buffalo hide to see whether the herd is in residence which is always a memorable sight.

A beautiful Bluethroat (Photo: Philip Birget)

To round off the morning, Louise Benjamin is kindly inviting us to her nearby home for coffee and croissants will be served nearby.☕🥐

Please note: The main walking trail in the nature reserve is officially closed for repairs, so unfortunately we cannot include the full reserve walk in the programme for the time being. However, the buffalo hide remains accessible from the road, and refreshments are only 10–15 minutes’ walk from the bird-ringing area (or about 2 minutes by car).

More info to follow

Once again we are in the fortunate position to be invited to watch the Boat Races together with Camsoc in front of the multiplex home cinema at the home of Laurent and Cathy Frideres.

Date: 4 April 2026
Timings:
Cathy and Laurent will welcome people from 14:30. The television coverage, this year on Channel 4, will start at 14:30 CET with the first Race, the 80th Women’s Race scheduled to start at 15:21. for those who do not wish to miss the pre-race action!

John Speed from Camsoc informs that: ‘The procedure will “be the same as last year”. Punters will be encouraged to bring cakes or other goodies, and there will be some wine etc.

Invitation: For further info, please refer to the Camsoc invitation below.

Sign-up: : John Speed with cc to Laurent Friederes and Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig.

And may we Oxonians add: May the Dark Blues have it!