RTL Today - The Lisa Burke Show RTL Today

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.



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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.





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Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!



Please do subscribe to the podcast on Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too – helps others find us.



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.

Europe for Europe – a wonderful opportunity for 18–23-year-olds to discover the EU together.



Ahead of Europe Day on 9 May, and the upcoming European elections, 6-9 June, my shows this week and next will have a distinctly European flavour.



To start with, Sasha is back with a chat about recent world news.



Anne Calteux, Representative of the EU Commission to Luxembourg, is entering a very busy period of work, sharing her passion and knowledge for the European Union. Anne is effectively the Commission’s voice in Luxembourg.



There were many steps, and setbacks to the European Union becoming what it is today. Luxembourg was one of the founding countries of the EU, along with Belgium, West Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. The creation of the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community) was a pivotal step however. From 1952, Luxembourg, Brussels and Strasbourg became temporary meeting-places for the ECSC. Since 1992, these three cities have become the HQ for all our European institutions. And today, more than 14,000 European civil servants and agents work for the EU institutions in Luxembourg.



Europe for Europe



Europe for Europe (E4E) is a programme designed for 18 to 23 year olds to tour the founding six member states of the EU. There is only one participant from each of the 27 member states, plus the UK (despite Brexit), vetted by the Rotary Club who designed the programme.



https://europe4europe.com



This experience lasts for three intense weeks in July, allowing for 3 days in each country, and they all have their own themes:



Italy - future industrial developments

France - historical heritage

Belgium - social responsibility

Netherlands - inclusivity

Germany - Ariane Space Project

Luxembourg - EU institutions

Roberto Mancina was a co-founder of Europe for Europe, having been involved with the Youth Exchange for many years. Whilst attending an EEMA congress in Istanbul, he had lunch with some French Rotarians from Thionville. They wanted to find a way to honour the memory of Robert Schumann, who was from Thionville and Founding Father of the EU. And so the idea of E4E was born.



Roberto was particularly interested in developing this project as the Rotary Club is American in origin, and he felt it needed a greater European focus.



Ellen Spencer is Coordinator of Europe for Europe (E4E) for the Rotary Clubs of Luxembourg. Ellen first became involved with the Rotary Clubs here when she moved to Luxembourg. Ellen has a son and has observed the benefits to him growing up as an EU citizen. She continues to work passionately to support young adult programmes that focus on engagement towards a common future for a better world.



The EU Youth Strategy and Erasmus+ are other places to discover programmes for young people, to enhance European values, tolerance, enhance skills and employability. To find out more information just contact the Rotary Clubs of Luxembourg (or indeed other countries across Europe) and the European Youth Portal.



https://youth.europa.eu/home_en



Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!



Please do subscribe to the podcast on Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too - helps others find us.



Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am.