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Why Luxembourg?

It is astonishing, isn’t it? Lol. Unlike many people who visit Luxembourg with the intention to stay for a few years, my fascination with the country began during a student tour of European institutions in 2017 and I actively began to search for an opportunity to return. Although we only spent a few hours in the Kirchberg district exploring the European Court of Justice and the European Investment bank (EIB), I couldn’t help but marvel at what seemed to me like a utopian dream set in the year 2060. I was enchanted. Undoubtedly, it is not just people who leave a mark on you, Luxembourg left a lasting effect on me after that student tour, and when I was offered a role at the EIB, it just felt right, Luxembourg was also thinking about me!

There’s so much you don’t appreciate about a system until you’ve explored other settings. This is not to say that everything is perfect, but one thing the ever-present construction works remind me of is the collective willingness to constantly improve on the present. This progressive mindset transcends the construction space into communal life in Luxembourg, marked by a fusion of multicultural backgrounds and languages, this is besides being a major business and financial hub. With all these attributes, I find myself asking each day, why not Luxembourg?

What attracted you to studying French and German and do you have plans to learn any other languages?

I think my curiosity has always pushed me to discover the most beautiful things. My dream had always been to study mass communication, but in my gap year and after chatting with an uncle who could speak five languages--a really big deal before I met Luxembourgers--I decided to learn French, in order to be better prepared for undergraduate studies. But there was no going back after this. I discovered another opportunity to study German and French at the university and by this time my interest in European politics and culture was consolidated. Language was my escape and opening to a new world. I would like my Luxembourg vocabulary to go beyond "Moien", and I intend to be fluent in Luxembourgish in the next two years. A little ambitious, but I love a good challenge.

What social media are you using most right now?

Clubhouse. It Is a social networking audio-based application that offers you the possibility to join in or simply listen to people discuss about pretty much anything you can think of. I am still looking to build my followership, but I have been very impressed by the quality of unedited open everyday conversations on the platform. You learn a lot from listening in and like every social application, you can make new friends from all walks of life. 

Abigail is a trained Policy Officer in European and International Organizations and holds a joint master’s degree from the Institute of European and International Studies (CIFE), University of Kent, and the Institute for European Politics (IEP). She has experience working at the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, Advans International in France, and Plan International in Senegal. You can connect with Abigail on LinkedIn.