UCLouvain

For the university founded in 1425, see Old University of Louvain. For the 1817–1835 university, see State University of Leuven. For the 1834–1968 university, see Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968). For the present-day Dutch-language university, see KU Leuven.

UCLouvain
Université catholique de Louvain
The Sedes Sapientiae, seal of UCLouvain.
Latin: Universitas Catholica Lovaniensis[1]
Other name
UCLouvain
Former name
Université catholique de Belgique
Motto
Sedes Sapientiae (Latin)
Motto in English
Seat of Wisdom, Seat of Knowledge
TypePrivate, subsidised by public authorities
Established1425
Religious affiliation
Roman Catholicism
Budget€220 million (2017)[2]
RectorFrançoise Smets
Administrative staff
6,097 (2021)
Students37,686 (2023-24)[3]
5,088
Location
Belgium
CampusLouvain-la-Neuve, with campuses in Brussels (City of Brussels, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert & Saint-Gilles), Mons, Tournai, Charleroi, Namur, Dinant, Yvoir
ColorsBlue and white    
NicknameWolves
AffiliationsGuild of European Research-Intensive Universities
CEMS
CESAER
CLUSTER
Coimbra Group
IMCC
EMPA
TIME
MascotWoulfy
Websitewww.uclouvain.be
Data as of 2011
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Book celebrating the 25 anniversary of the founding of the Catholic University of Louvain, November 3, 1859.

UCLouvain (or Université catholique de Louvain, French for Catholic University of Louvain, officially in English the University of Louvain)[4] is Belgium's largest French-speaking university and one of the oldest in Europe (originally established in 1425). It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve, which was expressly built to house the university, and Brussels, Charleroi, Mons, Tournai and Namur. Since September 2018, the university uses the branding UCLouvain, replacing the acronym UCL, following a merger with Saint-Louis University, Brussels.

The original University of Louvain (Universitas Lovaniensis) was founded at the centre of the historic town of Leuven (or Louvain) in 1425, making it the first university in Belgium and the Low Countries, and abolished by law in 1797. This university was the centre of Baianism, Jansenism[5] and Febronianism in Europe. A new university, the State University of Louvain, was founded in 1817 and abolished by the law in 1835. A new catholic university was founded in Mechlin in 1834, the Catholic University of Mechlin and moved to Leuven in 1835 that is frequently, but controversially, identified as a continuation of the older institution.AB In 1968 the Catholic University of Leuven split into the Dutch-language Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, which stayed in Leuven, and the French-language Université catholique de Louvain, which moved to Louvain-la-Neuve in Wallonia, 30 km southeast of Brussels. Since the 15th century, Leuven/Louvain, as it is still often called, has been a major contributor to the development of Catholic theology.

  1. ^ Anderson, Peter John (1907). Record of the Celebration of the Quatercentenary of the University of Aberdeen: From 25th to 28th September, 1906. Aberdeen, United Kingdom: Aberdeen University Press (University of Aberdeen). ASIN B001PK7B5G. ISBN 9781363625079.
  2. ^ "Zahlen auf dailyscience.be" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Chiffres de la rentrée 2023-2024 - Étudiantes et étudiants par université et par secteur d'études" [Figures for the 2023-2024 academic year - Students by university and by sector of study]. www.cref.be (in French).
  4. ^ "University of Louvain - EUTM file information". European Union Intellectual Property Office. 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  5. ^ Dictionnaire historique de la Papauté, sous la direction de Philippe Levillain, éd. Fayard, 1994, sub verbo "Innocent XII Pignatelli 1691-1700" : "Bien que la théologie et l’éthique jansénistes dans leurs postulats théoriques et pratiques aient été largement rejetées par le Saint-Siège, elles sont encore bien loin de disparaître de la vie de l’Église à la fin du XVIIe siècle. À l’époque d’Innocent XII, quelques groupuscules plus combatifs ont quitté la France et se sont transférés en Belgique et en Hollande, d’où ils redoublent d’activité, souvent en conflit avec les directives de Rome. L’université de Louvain est leur forteresse". Daniel Tollet et Pierre Chaunu, Le jansénisme et la franc-maçonnerie en Europe centrale au XVIIe et XVIIIe siècle, p. 143 : "Louvain plaque tournante des idées jansénistes", and Henri Francotte1, professeur à l'université de Liège, La Propagande des encyclopédistes français au pays de Liège (1750-1790), Bruxelles : Hayez, 1880, p. 28. : "le jansénisme régnait en maître à l'université de Louvain".