Prof. Takis Tridimas: "Europe for me is a set of values. It's about democracy. It's about putting the citizen at the centre of society."

As we celebrated Europe Day last week, we took the time to revisit the concept of Europe and talk about EU Law with Prof. Takis Tridimas, the founding director of the Luxembourg Centre for European Law at the University of Luxembourg. With Prof. Tridimas we looked closer at the significance of the European Court of Justice, the protection of fundamental rights, and the evolving challenges faced by the EU. Don't miss this engaging discussion that sheds light on the importance of legal systems in our daily lives.

USEFUL LINKS

Luxembourg Centre for European Law - https://www.uni.lu/lcel-en/

More about Prof. Takis Tridimas - https://www.uni.lu/lcel-en/people/panagiotis-tridimas/

The General Principles of EU Law - https://academic.oup.com/book/50587

More about ECJ - https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/j_6/en/

Let's change the way we learn foreign languages! In our latest episode, Dr. Kateřina Chládková (assistant professor at Faculty of Arts, Charles University and a senior scientist at Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences) upends conventional wisdom about language learning.

Babies don't use flashcards or grammar drills—they absorb language through immersion in their linguistic environment. Dr. Chládková's research suggests adults retain these innate mechanisms but rarely access them. Instead of focusing on isolated vocabulary lists and grammar rules, adults should aim to ‘soak up’ the language around them, much like babies do.

Dr. Chládková proposes reconnecting with our instinctive learning capabilities by focusing on rhythm and context over isolated components. This approach mirrors how infants develop fluency—through pattern recognition rather than conscious analysis.

USEFUL LINKS

More about Dr. Kateřina Chládková: https://psu.cas.cz/en/people/cv/chladkova/index.html

Article on The Conversation co-authored by Dr. Chládková: https://theconversation.com/how-to-learn-a-language-like-a-baby-250551

The Mooveez app: https://www.mooveez.com/

In a world where traditional economic systems are being challenged, the concept of local currencies is gaining traction as a powerful tool for community empowerment and social innovation. In the latest episode of the podcast, host Hanna Siemaszko welcomes Dr. Gilles Evrard Essuman, a research associate at LISER specializing in social innovation and community economies. Their engaging conversation focuses on the intricacies of local currencies, participatory action research, and the transformative potential of grassroots movements.

Do you know how many local currencies there are in Europe and which country leads the way? Listen to the pub quiz segment to find out.

USEFUL LINKS

More about Dr. Gilles Evrard Essuman - https://liser.elsevierpure.com/en/persons/gilles-evrard-essuman

Interview with Dr. Gilles Evrard Essuman on the Research Luxembourg page - https://www.researchluxembourg.org/en/in-conversation-with-our-young-researchers-gilles-evrard-essuman/

La Doume - https://doume.org/

Le Biau Jardin - https://www.lebiaujardin.org/

Social Business Incubator - https://socialbusinessincubator.lu/en/home/

BEKI - https://www.beki.lu/

iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org

More about the REGEN project - https://www.schroeder.lu/fr/a-propos/actualites/pour-une-energie-urbaine-renouvelable