L to r: Matteo Russo, Daria Amelina and Ruben Jurgens are students attending the master’s degree in wealth management at the University of Luxembourg and part of the “new generation” interested in impact investing. Photo: Lydia Linna/Maison Moderne

L to r: Matteo Russo, Daria Amelina and Ruben Jurgens are students attending the master’s degree in wealth management at the University of Luxembourg and part of the “new generation” interested in impact investing. Photo: Lydia Linna/Maison Moderne

Students from the University of Luxembourg presented the recently-established Luxembourg Impact Investing Association during Luxflag’s annual Sustainable Investment Week held at the Centre Culturel Schéiss.

The Luxembourg Impact Investing Association (LIIA) was founded in 2024 by master’s students at the University of Luxembourg. Three of them--Matteo Russo, Daria Amelina and Ruben Jurgens--presented the association’s goals and initiatives during the Luxflag Sustainable Investment Week on 23 October 2024.

Top universities around the world have impact investing initiatives, noted Russo. Impact investing aims to use money to bring about positive social or environmental benefits, according to Investopedia. But Luxembourg--despite its financial ecosystem--did not, leading to the establishment of the association, said Russo. It was “timely and essential.”

The “LIIA envisions Luxembourg becoming a European hub for impact investing, bringing together university talents and professionals to drive transformative social and environmental changes,” said Amelina. Through strategic partnerships with international universities, the association aims to “reinforce the academic positioning of impact investing” and to “nurture and address the new generation of leaders in sustainable development.” Its main purpose is to ensure that the grand duchy remains a “magnet for talent” and that the local market has “skilled professionals with innovative ideas.”

Read also

So concretely, what does that mean?

“We will be promoting three main initiatives,” explained Jurgens. The first consists of educational activities, such as workshops and seminars led by industry professionals and entrepreneurs with experience in the field of impact investing. The “second is a mentorship programme, which is designed to support talents by connecting them with industry experts who will help them to develop the skillset needed to bring their impact ideas to life, as well as monitor the impact of those projects.” The LIIA’s third initiative is “an annual award that aims to recognise and celebrate innovative solutions to social and environmental problems,” he concluded, emphasising the importance of collaboration and extending an invitation to the audience to support the association.

Related articles