Grand Duke Henri with students at MUDEC;
Credit: Ievgenii Karanov, Chronicle.lu
On Friday 19 September 2025, Grand Duke Henri paid a visit to the Miami University John E Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) in Differdange.
The Grand Duke was welcomed at MUDEC in the presence of Luxembourg’s Minister for Higher Education, Stéphanie Obertin, and the Mayor of Differdange, Guy Altmeisch.
In the Grande Salle, a meeting was held for the welcome speeches and a presentation of the Centre. The opening remarks were delivered by MUDEC Executive Director Raymond Manes, who highlighted the long-standing links between the institution and Luxembourg, and Associate Director Stephanie Shaheen, who outlined the centre’s activities and academic programmes.
The Dolibois Center has been present in Luxembourg for 57 years (28 of which in Differdange), with more than 13,000 American students having followed courses at the Centre. With 176 students currently enrolled, the MUDEC is experiencing its highest intake since its establishment.
According to Mr Manes, this was the first time the Grand Duke had visited the MUDEC campus. “It means a lot to us because the Grand Duke had never made it here. So it was for him the first time he visited Miami University; he works with Ohio but never came to the campus. And he just said, ‘I don’t understand why this could happen.’ I replied, better late than never,” he shared in an interview with Chronicle.lu.
After the introduction, the Grand Duke was presented to the academic staff before visiting two classes, where professors outlined their topics. He then spoke with students, encouraging them to become ambassadors between Luxembourg, Europe and the United States. The students, in turn, expressed their appreciation for the diversity of nationalities represented in the Grand Duchy.
The visit continued with a meeting in the Conference Room with representatives of the Student Committee, Social Media Interns and students from the Physiotherapy, Architecture and Digital Innovation cohorts. It concluded with an informal exchange with students over refreshments in the Student Mezzanine.
Reflecting on the visit, Mr Manes noted the Grand Duke’s reaction: “Very positive. He said, ‘oh, I enjoyed it so much, just interacting with the students, letting me interact with the students.’ So he enjoyed it really well.”
