Category: past-posts

We ended this busy half-year of OUSL events with a great talk by H. E. Hua Ning and dinner at the Golf Club Grand-Ducal. The large guest list included both OUSL members and friends from our sister societies.

This was the second part of our miniseries on Roman Britain. Whereas Oxford and INRA arranged the first talk and dinner with Professor Bowman speaking on the Vindolanda tablets, this event was arranged by Cambridge and INRA. We had a great talk by Professor Martin Millett: FBA, MAE Emeritus Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology as we sat in the warm summer’s evening at the amazingly preserved Gallo-Roman Theatre in Dalheim. While the evening took onset in Dalheim we were soon engrossed in various archeological sites in Britain which Professor Millett, his team and colleagues had mapped, with magnetometers without any digging whatsoever! We heard about the exchange between Roman and English culture and left with a far more nuanced picture of the Roman invasion. Many of the seats of amphitheatre were filled and there was a lively Q & A after the talk.

Afterwards a good group of light and dark blues and archeologists had an excellent meal at ‘A Schmatten’. We are grateful to Cambridge for this lovely event which ended our Oxbridge miniseries on Roman Britain.

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See below for the invitation.

Venue: Gallo-Roman Theatre in Dalheim. 

Organisers: Camsoc & INRA.

Please contact president@cambridgesociety.lu for more information. 

This was yet another of our smaller events at a landmark in our own city. We teamed up with Imperial, whose Chair, Silvia Colucci had put a great event together for us. Seated in the beautiful early 20th century room, we were given a splendid talk by Sergio Marx on the role of the bank, which prompted a lively exchange of questions and answers among our c. 30 person-strong group (Imperial, LSE, OUSL). Towards the end, we even had a surprise appearance from none other than Gaston Reinesch, the Governor of the Central Bank. Afterwards we were treated to a lovely reception, and later still, a smaller group went to Atmos to enjoy the perfect summer evening. The OUSL was well represented, both by members of the committee and other members.

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We are delighted to have been invited to team up with Imperial for this special visit to Banque Centrale du Luxembourg on Monday the 15th June at 18h00.

The evening will begin with a presentation in English outlining the institution’s activities, followed by a cocktail reception within the premises—an excellent opportunity for discussion and networking.

Please note that spaces are limited. We kindly ask you to confirm your attendance at your earliest convenience. For security and access purposes, participant names must be communicated to the bank one week in advance.We look forward to welcoming you to this insightful event.

Date and Time: Monday 15 June, 18h00.
Venue: Banque Central de Luxembourg, 2, boulevard Royal L-2983 Luxembourg.
Cost: the tour is free, and the reception is courtesy of the bank
Sign-up by 8 June: please write chair@oxford.lu, and Silvia Collucci 

Please sign up with John Speed on president@cambridgesociety.lu so that he can reserved enough places.

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

Everyone pays for their own orders.

Formal convocation were sent out soon, and we had a very good – and festive – Annual General Meeting.

Our member Francis Carpenter and his wife are kindly opening their lovely home for us for the event which will be followed by a glass of champagne curtesy of our hosts, and amuses bouches courtesy of OUSL.

More to come, but do sign up for this evening of Oxonians only. The AGM lasts around 45 minutes and the rest is a congenial get-together where Francis Carpenter may show us some of his rare collections of PreColumbian Artefacts, from the Pacific Coast to the Machu Pichu areas.

WHO CAN COME: All paid-up members of the OUSL!
So you haven’t already done so, do hurry to pay the €40 for 2026 – otherwise, and forgive this foray into less festive legal speak – but you are only defined a member if pay the annual membership fee. Without it no membership and no right to vote a the AGM.

More info to come, but registration is now open:

Sign-up: Kindly ensure you have paid your €40 annual subscription prior to sig-up: Chair@Oxford.lu

We were delighted to present this long awaited conference with Professor Bowman, leading authority on the Roman world. Prof. Bowman spoke on 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.
Using infrared light, Professor Bowman and his team, painstakingly ploughed through hundreds of tablets until they were able to work out the texts – some were even in short-hand latin.

See below for pictures of the event.

This conference was 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.

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 (David Clark and Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig)/University of Luxembourg OUSL (co-host) in cooperation with INRA (Institut national de recherches archéologiques)

The day began with a private tour of the National Museum, expertly led by Curator Ralph Lange.

Looking at a fascinating face

…moulded from a wax negative

Then came Prof. emer. Alan Bowman’s great talk at the Museum Dräi Eechelen

And in high spirits after our Roman rumination

at the cosy Restaurant de Feierwon

With Oxford alumni of old

…and of new, and with Oxford friends too

As always, we had a convivial time with ‘the other place’ at La Reserve! Next time we congregate Thursday 21 May at Beim Renert, Place Guillaume

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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 were 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 →