Ecole 42, a Paris-based coding school known for its unconventional & effective approach, launched in the Grand Duchy in 2023 as 42 Luxembourg. Notably, the school runs without teachers or classes, instead relying on projects & peer-to-peer review. The free, fulltime study program lasts one to five years, depending on the chosen specialty, with the aim of growing the number of available developers to meet job market demand. 42Luxembourg is open 24/7, but the learner chooses his learning schedule within its own rhythm.

Housed at the Digital Learning Hub in Belval, 42 Luxembourg involves two parts. Part one takes students around 12–18 months to complete & covers the fundamentals of software engineering. Upon completion, participants can either end their program & graduate, or continue with part two: specialization. Topics include AI, cybersecurity & web development, with over 100 projects to choose from. Students determine when to move on from the program & take their skills into the real world.

The admissions process involves a two-hour, logic-based online game, followed by an in-person check-in. Then comes a four-week trial period known as the “Piscine” in which participants complete programming exercises & learn how to problem solve in a collaborative environment. Successful applications will be invited to join the school & can begin attending shortly thereafter. The current “Piscine” welcomed 150 interested coders, 22% are women.