Research Groups Archive - FHSE - 8xav福利导航 of Luxembourg I Uni.lu /fhse-en/research-groups/ Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences I Uni.lu Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:13:46 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 SEMILUX /fhse-en/research-groups/institute-for-research-on-socio-economic-inequality/semilux/ Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:13:44 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=39965 The SEMILUX Seminar Series is a research seminar dedicated to the study of socioeconomic inequality, organised by the Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality (IRSE) at the 8xav福利导航 of Luxembourg.

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SEMILUX

The SEMILUX Seminar Series is a research seminar dedicated to the study of socioeconomic inequality, organised by the Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality (IRSE) at the 8xav福利导航 of Luxembourg.

SEMILUX provides a forum for researchers and academics to present ongoing and completed research, discuss new findings, and exchange ideas on the causes, consequences, and dynamics of socioeconomic inequality. The seminar welcomes different theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives and promotes dialogue across research areas.

Objectives

  • provide researchers with a platform to present and discuss their latest research findings;
  • promote academic exchange on socioeconomic inequality and related topics;
  • encourage discussion of new theoretical, methodological, and empirical approaches;
  • facilitate interactions among researchers working on different dimensions of inequality; and
  • strengthen knowledge exchange within the academic community.

Topics

The seminar welcomes research examining different dimensions of socioeconomic inequality. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

  • income and wealth inequality;
  • poverty and social exclusion;
  • labour markets and employment;
  • taxation and redistribution;
  • social protection and welfare policies;
  • education and inequality of opportunity;
  • health inequalities;
  • gender and socioeconomic disparities;
  • intergenerational mobility;
  • spatial and regional inequalities;
  • migration and inequality; and
  • the distributional consequences of economic, demographic, technological, and environmental change

Seminar Format

SEMILUX takes place once a month, on Wednesdays from 15:20 to 17:00 in the Belval campus.

Seminars are held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person at the 8xav福利导航 of Luxembourg or online. Each session gives invited speakers the opportunity to present their research, receive feedback, and engage in discussion with participants.

Through its regular seminar series, SEMILUX contributes to building an active research community around socioeconomic inequality and supports the exchange of rigorous and policy-relevant research.

Seminar organiser

  • Enrico NICHELATTI

    Postdoctoral researcher

    Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences

    Learn more

Organised by

  • Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality (IRSE)
  • 8xav福利导航 of Luxembourg

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Publications /fhse-en/research-groups/ima/publications/ Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:40:30 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=39672 The post Publications appeared first on FHSE EN.

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Here will be shown a list of our recent publications.

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About /fhse-en/research-groups/ima/about/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:39:57 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=39608 The post About appeared first on FHSE EN.

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About Institute of Musicology and Arts

The Institute for Musicology and the Arts was created in 2021. Under the leadership of Prof. Damien Sagrillo, the institute made a significant contribution to the valorisation of Luxembourg鈥檚 musical heritage, conducting research on Luxembourgish music and musicians. Among its output, especially the critical edition of the works of the Luxembourgish composer Laurent Menager and the 鈥淟uxemburger Musikerlexikon鈥 stand out.

In 2020, Prof. Luc Nijs joined the institute, connecting to the institute鈥檚 work on music pedagogy and broadening the scope with research on instrumental music teaching in early childhood (KiMuPe), digitization in music education (e.g., project 鈥淰imus鈥), and music performance (IAS Audacity project ).

Since May 2026, Prof. Nijs became the head of the institute. Under his leadership, the Institute will focus on music education and performance research. The aim of the institute is to become a leading research center on music research, addressing topics such as , musical creativity, the musician-instrument relationship, music educational technology, and well-being through music.

The Institute of Musicology and the Arts collaborates with the 8xav福利导航 of York (UK; ), the Amsterdam 8xav福利导航 of the Arts (NL; ), Ghent 8xav福利导航 (BE; ; ).

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People /fhse-en/research-groups/italian-studies/people/ Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:53:12 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=39163 The post People appeared first on FHSE EN.

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People

Claudio Cicotti

Head of Italian Studies, Study Programme Director of Italian Language, Culture and Society (LCSI) , Professor at SSML Salerno

Anne-Aurore Baldo

Lecturer in Italian Language, Culture and Society (LCSI)

Gaia Bennoni

Student assistant

Laura Ferrigno

Lecturer in Italian Language, Culture and Society (LCSI)

Francesca Iannello

Doctoral researcher, 8xav福利导航 of Luxembourg and 8xav福利导航 of Salerno

Enrico Lunghi

Lecturer in Italian Language, Culture and Society (LCSI)

Jean Portante

Lecturer in Italian Language, Culture and Society (LCSI)

Stella Radicati

Doctoral researcher, 8xav福利导航 of Luxembourg and 8xav福利导航 of Rome Tor Vergata

Oreste Sacchelli

Lecturer in Italian Language, Culture and Society (LCSI)

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Diagnostics Portfolio /fhse-en/research-groups/luxembourg-centre-for-educational-testing-lucet/research-diagnostics-portfolio-page/ Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:24:43 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=38601 The post Diagnostics Portfolio appeared first on FHSE EN.

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About Diagnostics portfolio

Diagnostics portfolio presentation

The Diagnostics Portfolio focuses on the development of innovative tools for the screening and diagnosis of (developmental) disorders in a linguistically diverse school population. In Luxembourg, where multilingualism is the norm, few diagnostic instruments are currently tailored to the needs of multilingual learners. Our research addresses this critical gap by designing and validating assessment tools that are specifically adapted to linguistic diversity.

Projects within this portfolio integrate multiple languages into assessment frameworks and incorporate language-independent tasks, depending on the specific diagnostic aims of each tool. Tailor-made screening and assessment instruments are developed in close collaboration with national competency centres specializing in diagnostics and assessment. Together, these efforts aim to ensure fair, accurate, and accessible diagnostics for all children, regardless of their linguistic background.

Our book describing the diagnostic process for specific learning disorders in Luxembourg

Screeners

Screener for functional vision impairments

Functional vision impairments – defined as limitations in the effective use of binocular vision in everyday tasks – often remain undetected. When left unidentified, these difficulties can negatively affect children鈥檚 learning and academic progress. Therefore, early assessment of children鈥檚 visual perception is crucial to ensure timely and appropriate support.

Visual Screeners LUCET


In the context of this project, we have developed a large-scale screening tool for functional vision that is administered at the start of formal schooling (Grade 1). All children attending Grade 1 in Luxembourgish public schools complete the screener as part of the national school monitoring programme 鈥 .


The project is conducted in close collaboration between LUCET and the , the national competency centre responsible for diagnosing visual impairments and providing targeted support. By enabling early identification of visual perception difficulties, the project aims to provide children with functional visual impairments with appropriate support from the very beginning of their school careers.

Diagnostic tests

Luxembourg鈥檚 multilingual school environment poses a challenge for the diagnostic process of potential learning or speech disorders Distinguishing between difficulties stemming from limited exposure to the language of instruction and those arising from an underlying disorder is particularly complex. Moreover, the majority of the existing cognitive test batteries or (neuro-psychological) diagnostic tools are language-based meaning that proficiency in the test language can substantially influence performance. This is especially true for the assessment of scholastic skills such as reading/writing, mathematics, and language.

To address these challenges, projects aimed at developing diagnostic tests tailored to Luxembourg鈥檚 unique and linguistically diverse school population are carried out in close collaboration with national competence centres. Our first such collaboration with resulted in the publication of assessment tools for reading and writing, mathematics, and cognitive skills. These instruments were specifically developed for and normed using data from the country鈥檚 multilingual third-grade population (see the section Developed and published test batteries for further details).

We are currently working on the development of a novel test battery assessing preschool children鈥檚 Luxembourgish language skills, as this is the main language of instruction in public preschools. This represents the first assessment tool of its kind developed in Luxembourg.

In close collaboration with our partners at the , we have pre-tested a comprehensive test battery that targets the key competencies relevant for the assessment of developmental language disorder (DLD). DLD is characterised by persistent difficulties learning, understanding and using a language. Although the test battery evaluates children鈥檚 Luxembourgish language skills, any resulting diagnosis of DLD would also be valid across a child鈥檚 other native language(s), as the disorder affects all languages spoken by the child.

Image of a bird

Early identification is crucial, as it enables timely and targeted support, which, in turn, helps maximise children鈥檚 educational attainment and overall wellbeing. The validation study of the newly developed materials is planned for spring 2027, with the final test battery scheduled for release in 2028.

Developed and published test batteries

LUCET test batteries

In close collaboration with the , we have developed three new diagnostic test batteries specifically adapted to Luxembourg鈥檚 multilingual and multicultural school population. These tools cover crucial developmental domains for learning: cognition, mathematics, and reading and writing.

The test batteries were officially launched in April 2025 at a dedicated event attended by key stakeholders, field professionals, and representatives of the Ministry of Education. This initiative aims to strengthen the diagnostic process for specific learning and attentional disorders in Luxembourg and to ensure that each child receives support that is truly aligned with their individual needs.

FLUX is a multidimensional cognitive test battery specifically tailored for use in multicultural and multilingual educational settings. With the help of child-friendly instructional videos and non-verbal test materials, FLUX enables a fair and inclusive assessment of the cognitive abilities in Grade 3 students, regardless of their cultural and linguistic background.

The psychometric quality of FLUX has been empirically validated. The comrehensive test battery covers four cognitive domains: figural reasoning, quantitative reasoning, visual processing and short-term memory. Children鈥檚 results are summarised in an individual performance profile spanning the four cognitive domains.

Flux Materials

LuxLeseTest assesses children鈥檚 German reading and writing skills in an individual setting. The test was developed for children in Grade 3 (Cycle 3.1) of primary school. The test battery comprises subtests on reading and writing (core battery) as well as additional optional subtests including the assessment of phonological skills. The test contents are based on cognitive models of reading and writing and are in line with the Luxembourgish curriculum and third-year primary school textbooks.

The test battery is specifically adapted to the country鈥檚 multilingual student population. To ensure fair and accurate interpretation of results, four reference groups are used, based on the languages most frequently spoken at home: Luxembourgish/German, French, Portuguese, and other languages. This approach allows for a more precise evaluation of children鈥檚 performance and supports the creation of an individual performance profile.

While German is the test language, instructions can be delivered in another language when needed. Standardised procedures guide test administrators on when to switch back to German, ensuring consistency across administrations. Additionally, non-words are used in some subtests to reduce the influence of German language proficiency on task performance. Taken together, these adaptations allow for a more fair assessment in a multilingual setting.

Reading materials LUCET

LuxMatheTest  assesses children鈥檚 basic numerical and arithmetic skills in an individual setting. The test was developed for children in Grade 3 (Cycle 3.1) of primary school and comprises a core battery of tests as well as additional optional subtests. The test battery also provides an assessment of working speed and understanding of mathematical language. The test contents are based on neuropsychological models and are in line with the Luxembourgish curriculum and third-year primary school textbooks. 

The test battery is specifically adapted to the country鈥檚 multilingual student population. To ensure fair and accurate interpretation of results, four reference groups are used, based on the languages most frequently spoken at home: Luxembourgish/German, French, Portuguese, and other languages. This approach allows for a more precise evaluation of children鈥檚 performance and supports the creation of an individual performance profile.

While German is the test language, instructions can be delivered in another language when needed. Standardised procedures guide test administrators on when to switch back to German, ensuring consistency across administrations. Taken together, these adaptations allow for a more fair assessment in a multilingual setting.

Maths_Materials
OUR PARTNERS FOR DIAGNOSTICS
CDA Logo -  LUCET
CL Logo
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ALPHA Pilot Project /fhse-en/research-groups/luxembourg-centre-for-educational-testing-lucet/alpha-pilot-project/ Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:52:10 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=38470 The post ALPHA Pilot Project appeared first on FHSE EN.

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First longitudinal results of the ALPHA pilot project

LUCET “First longitudinal results on academic achievement and motivation of students participating in the ALPHA pilot project”

Context

Luxembourg’s school population is linguistically highly diverse with about 60 % of primary school students speaking another language than Luxembourgish and/or German at home.

As Luxembourgish is the main language in preschool and German is the language of initial literacy instruction in Cycle 2.1, many children learn to read and write in a language that is not their home language.

National and international studies, such as 脡pStan and PISA, consistently show that these students are more likely to face academic challenges. These inequalities are assumed to result from the high language expectations of the national curriculum.

To better support multilingual learners, the Luxembourgish government has expanded its language offer through European Public Schools and the ALPHA 鈥 zesumme wuessen pilot project, which allows first-grade students to begin literacy acquisition in either French or German.

This approach is supported by international research, which shows that children often have better learning opportunities when the language of instruction is linguistically closer to the students鈥 home language.

Scientific evaluation of the pilot project 鈥淎LPHA 鈥 zesumme wuessen鈥 and methodology

A table illustrating LUCET ALPHA pilot project timeline

Students in the ALPHA pilot project participate in the Luxembourg School Monitoring Programme . This makes it possible to compare their academic achievement and motivation with those of students following the national curriculum and to evaluate the impact of the pilot project using comprehensive, nationwide data.

While the first LUCET report (2024) focused on students during their first year of primary school (C2.1), the current report follows the same cohort into the next learning cycle (C3.1), providing new insights into their learning progress over time.

Composition of the five comparison groups

To ensure fair comparisons regarding student outcomes such as academic achievement, students participating in the ALPHA pilot project were compared with statistically matched reference groups (via propensity score matching) consisting of students with comparable backgrounds (e.g., language background, socioeconomic status).

Central findings in C3.1 and interpretation

Students were tested in mathematics, as well as in listening and reading comprehension in their respective language of literacy acquisition.

GroupsNumber of studentsMathematicsListening ComprehensionReading Comprehension
ALPHA-French37FrenchFrenchFrench
ALPHA-German46GermanGermanGerman
ALPHA-French reference group172GermanGermanGerman
ALPHA-German reference group257GermanGermanGerman
National level4769GermanGermanGerman
Note. The table indicates the test language in each achievement domain.

On average, students in C3.1 showed comparable academic achievement results in mathematics as well as in listening and reading comprehension, and this irrespective of their language of literacy acquisition.

Academic motivation was generally high across all five student groups. While ALPHA-German students expressed a higher motivation in mathematics compared to all the other groups, ALPHA-French students reported a higher motivation to learn in their language of literacy acquisition.

In addition, ALPHA-French students expressed a lower academic wellbeing, whereas ALPHA-German students reported a higher wellbeing than all other groups.

Although parental support was also generally high across all groups, ALPHA-French parents reported a higher perceived capacity to support their child academically compared to parents from the ALPHA-French reference group.

Possible explanation and methodological limitations

Despite international research showing that learning to read and write in a language linguistically closer to the students鈥 home language background facilitates literacy development, this expected advantage is currently not reflected in the C3.1 脡pStan data.

One possible explanation is that students are learning to read and write in different orthographic systems. In contrast to German, French is an opaque language and has more complex relationships between letters and sounds, potentially influencing the pace in which students acquiring literacy. As a result, literacy acquisition in French may develop more slowly and potential advantages for ALPHA-French students may only become visible at later stages of primary education (e.g., C4.1).

A further explanation might lie in the roles of the instruction languages within the pilot project. Whereas students in ALPHA are split into respective language of literacy acquisition groups for language subjects and mathematics (depending on the respective school鈥檚 decision), the so-called side subjects (e.g., science, art, sports) are taught orally in Luxembourgish with written materials and visual supports provided in the students鈥 respective language of literacy acquisition. Both ALPHA-French and ALPHA-German students are thus less exposed to their respective language of literacy acquisition than students following the national curriculum or attending European Public Schools with one main instruction language across all subjects. This difference in language exposure may influence students’ literacy development.

Although these findings offer important indications on key educational outcomes of students, who are taking part in the pilot project, they have to be interpreted with caution due to the very limited cohort size (i.e., N = 37 ALPHA-French and N = 46 ALPHA-German students) and the resulting methodological limitations (e.g., French language tests cannot be scaled, test comparability).

Conclusion and Outlook

The current report does not provide any indication of systematic performance differences in favour of students learning to read and write in French. Additionally, it should be noted that the present report does not allow to draw conclusions about how the results found in the specific context of the pilot project (e.g., student composition in the four pilot schools, which differs considerably from students at the national level) would generalize to the national education system in the scope of a nationwide implementation of the pilot project.

From a scientific perspective, encompassing further cross-sectional as well as longitudinal research with bigger and more representative samples is needed before being able to draw sound conclusions on the potential impact of the pilot project on students鈥 academic development. In this context, the continuous monitoring in the 脡pStan (e.g., C4.1) would provide essential additional insights on the effectiveness of the pilot project in Luxembourg鈥檚 unique trilingual educational system.

While the LUCET considers the broadening of the language offer in Luxembourg’s school system a valuable approach, the current findings suggest that key aspects of its implementation warrant further evaluation. This includes factors such as students’ exposure to the language of instruction, class composition, and the pedagogical approaches used, all of which may affect learning outcomes.

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Italian Studies /fhse-en/research-groups/italian-studies/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:51:29 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=37915 The post Italian Studies appeared first on FHSE EN.

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Italian Studies

Building bridges between academia and society

The Italian Studies section has long combined excellence in research and teaching with a strong commitment to public engagement. It fosters an ongoing dialogue with civil society and collaborates closely with Italian institutions, and the many associations in the Grand Duchy that maintain close ties with Italy. Beyond Luxembourg, the section has established an extensive network of partnerships with universities and research centres around the world. These collaborations promote scientific exchange, academic mobility, and the development of joint research projects, enriching both teaching and research.

People

Claudio Cicotti

Head of Italian Studies

Partners

  • Embassy of Italy
  • Com.It.Es
  • La Dante Alighieri
  • Italian Bookshop

News & events

The Italian Studies section is part of:

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Teaching /fhse-en/research-groups/italian-studies/teaching/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:22:01 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=38064 The post Teaching appeared first on FHSE EN.

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Study Italian language and culture @uni.lu

The courses offered by the Italian Studies section, together with their corresponding ECTS credits, are distributed across a broad range of degree programmes and training pathways.

    Study visit to Naples and Pompeii 鈥 March 2026

    News

    • Italian Studies: Save the dates!

      Learn more
    • 2015-2025: La Formation continue en Langue, Culture et Soci茅t茅 Italiennes f锚te ses 10 ans: Una Festa per tutti!

      Humanities
      Learn more

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    Research /fhse-en/research-groups/italian-studies/research/ Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:20:31 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=38046 The post Research appeared first on FHSE EN.

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    Italian communities at the heart of regional history and identity

    The Italian Studies section has long focused its research on the study and promotion of the Italian presence in Luxembourg and the Greater Region, a community that has played a fundamental role in shaping the region鈥檚 historical, cultural, linguistic, social, and economic development. Most of the Section鈥檚 scholarly activities have been devoted to this field through research projects, lecture series, international conferences, publications, and doctoral research. These initiatives have contributed to a deeper understanding of the enduring impact of Italian migration and heritage, while highlighting the crucial place of Italian communities in the history and contemporary identity of Luxembourg and the Greater Region.

      Research projects

      Ces Italies qui respirent au Luxembourg et dans la Grande R茅gion

      Comme un poumon qui conserve la m茅moire des lieux, l鈥檋istoire de l鈥檌mmigration italienne au Luxembourg et dans la Grande R茅gion continue de respirer 脿 travers les g茅n茅rations. Les peurs, les difficult茅s et la nostalgie des premiers migrants italiens, arriv茅s 脿 la fin du XIXe si猫cle, ont peu 脿 peu laiss茅 place 脿 une m茅moire apais茅e, port茅e aujourd鈥檋ui par les descendants de l鈥檌mmigration dans un contexte multiculturel largement r茅ussi. Cette s茅rie de conf茅rences explore les transformations de cette m茅moire dans les diff茅rentes r茅gions de la Grande R茅gion 鈥 Sarre, Rh茅nanie-Palatinat, Wallonie, Lorraine et Luxembourg 鈥 脿 travers les regards d鈥檋istoriens, sociologues, philologues, linguistes et 茅crivains. Une invitation 脿 茅couter les multiples voix, et peut-锚tre aussi la musique, de ces Italies europ茅ennes.

      颁辞苍蹿茅谤别苍肠别蝉

      L鈥橢nseignement de l鈥橧talien au Luxembourg

      Quatri猫me langue la plus 茅tudi茅e au monde, l鈥檌talien est enseign茅 au Luxembourg depuis pr猫s de 150 ans. Introduit d猫s l鈥檃rriv茅e des premiers migrants italiens, son apprentissage s鈥檈st progressivement d茅velopp茅 et diversifi茅.

      Aujourd鈥檋ui, de nombreuses institutions – l鈥橧NLL, l鈥橴niversit茅 du Luxembourg, les lyc茅es, les 脡coles europ茅ennes et d鈥檃utres organismes – proposent des cours r茅pondant 脿 des publics et 脿 des besoins vari茅s. Cette journ茅e d鈥櫭﹖udes entend analyser l鈥櫭﹙olution de cette offre en termes de contenus, de m茅thodes et de publics, afin de mettre en lumi猫re les compl茅mentarit茅s existantes et d鈥檈xplorer les perspectives d鈥檜n r茅seau 茅ducatif national, voire transfrontalier.

      Journ茅e d’茅tudes

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      Activities /fhse-en/research-groups/institute-for-german-language-literature-and-interculturality/activities-and-more/ Sun, 25 Jan 2026 23:34:54 +0000 /fhse-en/?post_type=research-groups&p=32495 The post Activities appeared first on FHSE EN.

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      Activities and more

      This page presents our activities and the commitment of both German Studies students and staff.

      What鈥檚 new

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