European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union financing institution, President Philippe Maystadt, President of the University of Luxembourg’s Board of Governors Raymond Kirsch and the University’s Rector, Rolf Tarrach, signed an agreement on Wednesday 5 March recording the handing over to the University of Luxembourg of the EIB’s documentary collection. With this Agreement, the two partner institutions established the “European Studies Library of the European Investment Bank and the University of Luxembourg".
This Library will initially comprise some 10 000 works, testimony to the activities, priorities and strategies of the Bank since it was founded in 1958. Together, these works form a unique collection, including many rare items, which might be of interest to those researching the history of the European Union.
The EIB chose the signing of this Agreement as the first in a series of official events to mark its fiftieth anniversary. With this unusual decision, the European financing institution – which was established by the Treaty of Rome – wishes to demonstrate its openness and strengthen its cooperation with the academic community of its host country.
The EIB’s documentary collection will be available to researchers but EIB staff will still have access to it. With regard to the practical arrangements, the new European Studies Library will initially be physically located in the Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education (FLSHASE) on the University’s Walferdange campus, in a room specially fitted out by the University Library. It could perhaps be moved in due course to the Esch-Belval site, in order to accommodate the entire EIB collection.
At the signing ceremony Mr Maystadt said that he welcomed this innovative initiative between the financial and academic world, between a 50-year old European institution and the rapidly growing University of Luxembourg. He hoped that this partnership would encourage and facilitate a high standard of historical research in European studies.
On behalf of the University, the Rector, Rolf Tarrach, stated that the presence of the European institutions in the City of Luxembourg gave value added to the young University of Luxembourg, which was further enhanced by their desire to contribute actively with their material and intellectual resources – as the EIB was doing today – to the development of the University.