The Association of Luxembourg Student Unions (ACEL) and the Christian Social People's Youth Party (CSJ) both question the suitability of Belval as host of the student fair, while the Higher Education Ministry defends the choice and points to cost savings and giving students a taste of university life.
The ACEL has criticised the Belval campus as an unsuitable venue for the national student fair. According to the organisation, the location is difficult to reach, particularly for students from the east of the country, some of whom require more than two hours to get there.
ACEL also noted that the fair's layout across four separate buildings makes it challenging for visitors to navigate, and that there were notably fewer employer stands than in previous editions held at Luxexpo.
CSJ agrees with ACEL
The Christian Social Youth (CSJ), the youth wing of the Christian Social People's Party, voiced similar concerns in a statement on Monday. The organisation said it shared ACEL's assessment, calling the layout of the Belval site "confusing" and the choice of location "unconvincing". Students from the north and east who depend on public transport are particularly disadvantaged, it added.
CSJ added that many visitors and participants support the ACEL's assessment of the situation.
Ministry defends new concept
In a written response, the Ministry for Higher Education defended the relocation and redesign of the fair. Since 2021, it explained, the event has been refocused exclusively on actors from the higher education sector such as universities, colleges, and student associations. Before the pandemic, more than half of the exhibitors at the student fair had no links to the higher education sector, hence the Ministry's decision to rework the concept of the student fair to benefit students and make it what it is today.
The ministry added that hosting the fair at the University of Luxembourg's Belval campus was a deliberate decision to allow students to experience the atmosphere of a "modern and dynamic university". ACEL's concerns, it said, had already been discussed in several meetings with organisers and student representatives, as well as the ministry itself, leading to "a number of adjustments".
More exhibitors, lower costs
The ministry compared the 2025 Belval fair with the last edition at Luxexpo in 2019: 151 exhibitors participated this year, compared to 132 in 2019. While all exhibitors at Belval were active in higher education, some such as youth parties, trade unions, and the Youth Parliament were also represented.
Financially, the shift to Belval has significantly reduced expenses. Renting Luxexpo and its parking areas previously cost around €400,000, according to a 2022 quote, while the Belval fair cost roughly €70,000.
The ministry concluded that the current concept has been well received by visitors, and that dialogue with ACEL remains constructive and ongoing.
