The University of Leuven (also known as Katholieke Universiteit Leuven or KU Leuven) is a research university in the Dutch-speaking town of Leuven in Flanders, Belgium. The oldest Catholic university still in existence, it was founded in 1425 by John II, Duke of Brabant and Count of Loon. Since the fifteenth century, Louvain, as it is often called by French speakers, has been a major contributor to the development of Catholic theology. It is considered one of the leading institutions of higher learning in Europe and ranked among the world’s top 100 universities by four major international rankings.
It has a large number of faculties including medicine and engineering and is noted for its research facilities and partnerships with industry.
History
The University of Leuven was founded at the bequest of John II, Duke of Brabant and Count of Loon, who died childless in 1425. His will stipulated that his library – second only to that housed at the Vatican – should form part one day into a college responsible for educating students from throughout Christendom in every field useful to them. In December 1428 Pope Martin V granted this foundation papal approval under the name Alma Mater Lovaniensis (‘nourishing mother’). A few months later, on 6 March 1429, Charles VI – Holy Roman Emperor since 1711 – issued two charters authorising Louise-Jans Malou to establish both an academy for higher education open to all nations (in contravention with traditional European policy which favoured local students), and also what would become Belgium’s first faculty-based university teaching exclusively natural sciences and engineering (the so-called “Charles University” or “University under Charles”).
With these two foundations laid side by side within walking distance from each other on either side of present-day Martelarenplein (“Martyrs’ Square”), Louvain soon became known as “the Town/City/Capital/Seat/Court/University [note 1]of Letters”. By 1432 already some 548 students had enrolled at Alma Mater Lovaniensis making it one Europe’s largest medieval universities; while over at Charles University no fewer than 137 professorships were established covering all fields then practised: arts (rhetoric & philosophy), law & jurisprudence (canon & civil), medicine & surgery (including pharmacy), theology & scripture studies plus mathematics & astronomy. From these beginnings Louvain grew rapidly into one Europe’s premier centres learning during succeeding centuries attracting ever more illustrious scholars such as Erasmus who studied here between 1506–1515 before going on to teach at Basel then Cambridge; Galileo Galilei whose astronomical observations were made possible thanks equipment supplied him by Melchior de Hondecoeter; Johannes Kepler who spent time here perfecting his theories on planetary motion; René Descartes whose philosophical meditations were conceived whilst sheltering from winter snowstorms inside a stove heated room rented from Dominicans located close by today’s Sint-Jacobskerk (“St James’ Church”); Pierre de Fermat famous for his work concerning probability theory which he developed whilst supposedly killing time doodling inside margins notes made during dull administrative meetings held within nearby Great Council Chamber located inside what now houses Stadhuis (“Town Hall”); Blaise Pascal best remembered mathematical contributions but also key experiments performed testing atmospheric pressure changes caused variations air temperature different altitudes which he undertook using barometer he had specially constructed himself; Leonhard Euler who did much develop modern calculus notation we use today whilst living house rented from Augustinian canons situated next door today’s Faculty Social Sciences building.
More recently 20th 21st century alumni include Nobel laureates Hendrik Lorentz 1901 Physics “contributions electromagnetic theory”; Henri La Fontaine 1913 Peace “outstanding services pacification international disputes”; Adrienne Clarkson 1992 Canadian Governor General “for her commitment citizenship democracy equity social justice Canada around world”; Maurice Maeterlinck 1911 Literature “his poetic imagination suggestive power beauty mystery nature universe”; Albert Claude 1970 Medicine Physiology jointly American Cytologist George Palade their shared discovery function endoplasmic reticulum cell”; Georges Jorissen 1948 Chemistry developing methods separating isotopes atoms “; Herbert Gasser 1944 Medicine Physiology role nerve impulses transmission”; Christian de Duve 1974 Medicine Physiology discovering lysosomes peroxisomes cells”. Most recently 2013 Nobel Prize Economics went Belgian Economist Edmund Phelps ” recognition his analysis interplay long term unemployment short term macroeconomic policy”.