Ms Maria Luís Albuquerque, EU Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, visited the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance at the University of Luxembourg as part of a wider initiative to engage with young people across EU Member States and foster a deeper understanding of the European Commission’s priorities and policies, with a focus on the main files of her portfolio.
True to the spirit of the event, the Commissioner’s visit gave students the opportunity to ask questions and exchange ideas during a question-and-answer session moderated by Department of Finance Professor Denitsa Stefanova.
Financial literacy, efficiency in policymaking, economic inequality, sustainability, the role of private capital… these topics, among others, were on the minds of the 30 Master’s and PhD students in attendance on Wednesday, 18 June 2025.
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Evis GRAUS, a PhD student, asked about improving financial literacy among vulnerable groups.
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Masters student, Joachim MORGADO OLIVEIRA, asked how, in light of ESG backlash, the EU can effectively mobilise private capital for its green and digital transitions, while maintaining both market attractiveness and strategic resilience.
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PhD student Cecilia CACERES JUAN asked the Commissioner about the safeguards in place to make sure that private capital mobilised by the European Savings and Investments Union reaches SMEs and less affluent regions, rather than concentrating in major financial hubs.
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Gaurav TOOR, a postdoctoral researcher, asked if the Commissioner will create any policies to encourage European small businesses to invest abroad, especially in Africa, to offset carbon emissions and create a market for products.
A visit framed by strategy, legacy and urgency
Professor Marie-Hélène Jobin, Vice-Rector for Partnerships and International Relations, officially welcomed the Commissioner and the students, drawing attention to the University’s role as an agent for advancing strategic priorities in the field of finance, both within the country and beyond its borders. “We educate investors and regulators, support innovation, inform policy, and connect institutions and citizens,” Prof. Jobin stated.
Setting the tone of her introductory speech and reminding the students that EU policy is far from an abstract notion, Commissioner Albuquerque opened by telling the group, “Whatever we are building today, it is for your generation to benefit from.” She went on to speak about the overarching goal of ensuring that every company and citizen in the EU has access to the same opportunities, no matter where they are located.
For Commissioner Albuquerque, Europe must “follow innovation, become more competitive, and have the resources to deal with evolving priorities.” She emphasised the importance of ensuring that Europe has the scale, depth, and liquidity in its markets to make them efficient, keeping money in Europe while also attracting capital for investment.
She acknowledged a certain risk adversity among the older generation in the EU, in contrast to other regions, contrasting this with the students’ more dynamic outlook. Through her visits to Member States and meetings with university students, she hopes to find “allies on the ground” who share in the vision of a “true European single market in the financial sector.” Speaking about the accelerating pace of innovation, Commissioner Albuquerque highlighted the urgency of her mission, telling the attendees, “I don’t think that we have the luxury of taking our time to deliver.”