Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Encyclopedia
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (in short K.U.Leuven) is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders
, Belgium
.
It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven
, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425. The Catholic University of Leuven
, Belgium's oldest university, split into the K.U.Leuven and the French-language Université catholique de Louvain
, which moved to Louvain-la-Neuve
in Wallonia. Throughout its long history dating back to the 15th century, 'Louvain', as it is still often called, has always been a major contributor to the development of Catholic theology.
With 36,923 students in 2009–2010, the K.U. Leuven is the largest university in Belgium
and the Low Countries
. The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven also has a campus at Kortrijk
, formerly known as Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Afdeling Kortrijk (KULAK
). The university now also offers several programs in English.
, Dartmouth College
, Penn State, Emory University
, and Georgetown University
.. Its current 2011 QS World University Ranking position is 68th.
In Academic Year 2009-2010, 36,923 students were attending classes at the 14 faculties
of the K.U.Leuven, 5,078 of whom were foreign students, many of whom were able to follow courses offered in English. Most courses, however, are taught in Dutch. The K.U.Leuven is a member of the Coimbra Group
(a network of leading European universities) as well as of the LERU Group (League of European Research Universities). Since August 2009, the university has been led by Mark Waer
who replaced former rector
Marc Vervenne
. The Belgian
archbishop
, André-Joseph Léonard
is the current Grand Chancellor and a member of the university board.
The K.U.Leuven is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, under her traditional attribute as 'Seat of Wisdom
', and organizes an annual celebration on 2 February in her honour. On that day, the university also awards its honorary doctorates. The seal
used by the university shows the medieval statue of the Sedes Sapientiae, Leuven, in a vesica piscis
shape.
In Flanders
, the K.U.Leuven is Catholic, whereas the University of Ghent and the University of Antwerp
are officially neutral on issues of religious/philosophical orientation, and the Free University of Brussels
is Freethinking. However, nowadays these classifications are less relevant than they once were. Students and staff tend to choose a university rather for pragmatic reasons - such as the quality of education, the distance to the campus or the opportunities offered - than purely for religious or philosophical reasons.
In 1968 tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities led to the splitting of the bilingual Catholic University of Leuven
into two "sister" universities, with the Dutch-language university becoming a fully functioning independent institution in Leuven
in 1970, and the Université Catholique de Louvain
departing to a newly built, greenfield campus site in the French-speaking part of Belgium. Pieter De Somer
became the first rector of the K.U. Leuven.
In 1972 the K.U.Leuven set up a separate entity, "Leuven Research & Development" (LRD), to support industrial and commercial applications of university research. It has led to numerous spin-offs, such as the technology companies Option and Metris, and manages tens of millions of euros in investments and venture capital.
On 11 July 2002 the K.U.Leuven became the dominant institution in the "K.U.Leuven Association" (see below).
When the university was split, those books that could not be divided otherwise (e.g. according to the wishes of the benefactors who donated them) were divided as follows: those with an odd-numbered shelfmark stayed in Leuven, while the even-numbered ones moved to Louvain-la-Neuve. This gave rise to the widespread myth that every other volume was separated - splitting up runs of journals and volumes of encyclopedias - but since such series each had a single shelfmark this was never in fact the case. The Central Library alone now owns about 1,300,000 works.
The K.U.Leuven's Faculty of Theology library is among the most comprehensive in the world.
Group Humanities and Social Sciences
Science, Engineering & Technology
Biomedical Sciences Group
and the Rega Institute for Medical Research
.
The university is a member of the Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology (VIB). The Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) is a spin-off company of the university.
The students of the university are gathered together in the student's society LOKO
. They have representatives in most meetings at the university, including the Board of Directors.
Since July 2002, thirteen higher education institutes have formed the K.U.Leuven Association
. The members are:
The word is an acronym for "TOetsen en LEren Doeltreffend Ondersteunen" (English: effectively supporting testing and learning). It is the collective name for a number of commercial software programs and tools, such as Blackboard
. The project offers the Question Mark Perception assignment software to all institution members and has implemented the Ariadne KPS
to reuse digital learning objects inside the Blackboard environment.
ranked KU Leuven 86th overall in the world, dropping back 21 places from its position in the 2009 THE–QS World University Rankings list of the top 200 world universities (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
and QS World University Rankings
parted ways to produce separate rankings), where KU Leuven was ranked in 65th place. An overview of the THE-QS Rankings up to 2010:
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425. The Catholic University of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
, Belgium's oldest university, split into the K.U.Leuven and the French-language Université catholique de Louvain
Université catholique de Louvain
The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
, which moved to Louvain-la-Neuve
Louvain-la-Neuve
Louvain-la-Neuve is a planned city in the municipality of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, situated 30 km southeast of Brussels, in the French-speaking part of the country...
in Wallonia. Throughout its long history dating back to the 15th century, 'Louvain', as it is still often called, has always been a major contributor to the development of Catholic theology.
With 36,923 students in 2009–2010, the K.U. Leuven is the largest university in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven also has a campus at Kortrijk
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ; , ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders...
, formerly known as Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Afdeling Kortrijk (KULAK
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Campus Kortrijk
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Campus Kortrijk , or KULCK is the only university in the Belgian province of West-Flanders. Until recently, the KULCK was known as the KULAK, “Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Afdeling Kortrijk"...
). The university now also offers several programs in English.
General description
The K.U.Leuven is a strongly research-oriented university. Among its many accolades is to be reckoned among the top universities of Europe. In the 2011-2012 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) university ranking, the K.U.Leuven was ranked 67th in the world and 17th in Europe, making it the highest ranked university from the low countries (The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) in either category. In 2010, the university ranked above such well-known US universities as Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, Penn State, Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, and Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.. Its current 2011 QS World University Ranking position is 68th.
In Academic Year 2009-2010, 36,923 students were attending classes at the 14 faculties
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
of the K.U.Leuven, 5,078 of whom were foreign students, many of whom were able to follow courses offered in English. Most courses, however, are taught in Dutch. The K.U.Leuven is a member of the Coimbra Group
Coimbra Group
The Coimbra Group is a network of 40 European universities, some among the oldest and most prestigious in Europe. It was founded in 1985 and formally constituted by charter in 1987....
(a network of leading European universities) as well as of the LERU Group (League of European Research Universities). Since August 2009, the university has been led by Mark Waer
Mark Waer
Mark Waer is a Belgian physician, biomecial scientist, and the Rector of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven .-Biography:...
who replaced former rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
Marc Vervenne
Marc Vervenne
Marc Vervenne is a Belgian theologian.From August 2005 till July 2009 he was the rector of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. In 2005, he won the elections for new rector in the third round on Tuesday 24 May 2005 by beating Rik Torfs with 50,81% to 49,19%. Before becoming rector, he was...
. The Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
, André-Joseph Léonard
André-Joseph Léonard
André-Joseph Léonard is a Belgian prelate, the current archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and thus Primate of Belgium since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 18 January 2010. He had previously served as bishop of Namur from 1991 until 2010 as André-Mutien Léonard.- Early life :Léonard was born...
is the current Grand Chancellor and a member of the university board.
The K.U.Leuven is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, under her traditional attribute as 'Seat of Wisdom
Seat of Wisdom
In the Roman Catholic tradition, the epithet "the Seat of Wisdom" or "Throne of Wisdom" is identified with one of many devotional titles for the Mother of God...
', and organizes an annual celebration on 2 February in her honour. On that day, the university also awards its honorary doctorates. The seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
used by the university shows the medieval statue of the Sedes Sapientiae, Leuven, in a vesica piscis
Vesica piscis
The vesica piscis is a shape that is the intersection of two circles with the same radius, intersecting in such a way that the center of each circle lies on the circumference of the other. The name literally means the "bladder of a fish" in Latin...
shape.
In Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, the K.U.Leuven is Catholic, whereas the University of Ghent and the University of Antwerp
University of Antwerp
The University of Antwerp is one of the major Belgian universities located in the city of Antwerp. The name is sometimes abbreviated as UA.-History:...
are officially neutral on issues of religious/philosophical orientation, and the Free University of Brussels
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
is Freethinking. However, nowadays these classifications are less relevant than they once were. Students and staff tend to choose a university rather for pragmatic reasons - such as the quality of education, the distance to the campus or the opportunities offered - than purely for religious or philosophical reasons.
History
- For the history of the pre-1970 university see Catholic University of Leuven#History.
In 1968 tensions between the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking communities led to the splitting of the bilingual Catholic University of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
into two "sister" universities, with the Dutch-language university becoming a fully functioning independent institution in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
in 1970, and the Université Catholique de Louvain
Université catholique de Louvain
The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
departing to a newly built, greenfield campus site in the French-speaking part of Belgium. Pieter De Somer
Pieter De Somer
Pieter De Somer was a Belgian physician and biologist. He studied medicine from 1935 up to 1942 at the Catholic University of Leuven . He did research and later became a professor at the Department of medicine, where he specialised in microbiology and immunology...
became the first rector of the K.U. Leuven.
In 1972 the K.U.Leuven set up a separate entity, "Leuven Research & Development" (LRD), to support industrial and commercial applications of university research. It has led to numerous spin-offs, such as the technology companies Option and Metris, and manages tens of millions of euros in investments and venture capital.
On 11 July 2002 the K.U.Leuven became the dominant institution in the "K.U.Leuven Association" (see below).
Library
- For the history of the university library prior to 1970, see Catholic University of Leuven#Library.
When the university was split, those books that could not be divided otherwise (e.g. according to the wishes of the benefactors who donated them) were divided as follows: those with an odd-numbered shelfmark stayed in Leuven, while the even-numbered ones moved to Louvain-la-Neuve. This gave rise to the widespread myth that every other volume was separated - splitting up runs of journals and volumes of encyclopedias - but since such series each had a single shelfmark this was never in fact the case. The Central Library alone now owns about 1,300,000 works.
The K.U.Leuven's Faculty of Theology library is among the most comprehensive in the world.
Faculties
Source: K.U.Leuven: Faculties, departments and schoolsGroup Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Canon Law
- Institute of Philosophy
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Business and Economics
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Arts
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Science, Engineering & Technology
Biomedical Sciences Group
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences
Interfaculty and interuniversity institutes
- Centre for Translation Studies
- KADOC Documentation and Research Centre for Religion, Culture and Society
- Energy Institute
- Centre for European Studies
- Centre for Science, Technology and Ethics
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Law and ICTInterdisciplinary Centre for Law and ICTThe Interdisciplinary Centre for Law and ICT is an interdisciplinary centre based at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven. ICRI focuses its research on the interplay of Law and ICT and has been involved in numerous national and European projects relating to IT Law.-External links:*...
- Centre for the Study of the Second Vatican Council
Notable alumni
- For pre-1970 alumni see Catholic University of Leuven#Notable alumni.
- Leon BekaertLeon BekaertLeon baron Bekaert is a Belgian businessman. He started his career in 1983 as Managing Partner of Pauli Philippines and in 1984 transferred in 1984 to P.T. LVD Indonesia as Managing Director. In 1987 he joined the Bekaert Group as Sales Manager Bekaert Hong Kong and in 1989 he was appointed as...
(b. 1958), economics, businessman - Paul BulckePaul BulckePaul Bulcke is a Belgian businessman who was appointed the Chief executive officer of Nestlé on 20 September 2007 and officially started in his new role in April 2008.He is married and has three children....
(b. 1954), economics, businessman - Jan CallewaertJan CallewaertJan Callewaert is a Belgian businessman. He is the general manager of Option N.V. and the chairman of football club Oud-Heverlee Leuven...
, economics, founder of Option N.V.Option N.V.Option N.V. is a publicly quoted technology company, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium. Option specializes in the design, development, production and commercialization of broadband wireless technology devices. Option's mission statement is to provide "anywhere, anytime easy access to information"... - Mathias CormannMathias CormannMathias Hubert Paul Cormann is an Australian politician. He is a Liberal Party of Australia Senator for Western Australia, having been chosen by the Parliament of Western Australia on 19 June 2007 to fill the casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Ian Campbell...
(b. 1970), Belgian-born Australian Senator - Jo CornuJo CornuJozef "Jo" Cornu is a Belgian engineer businessman. He is at present CEO of Agfa-Gevaert.-Education:Jo Cornu graduated as Master of Science in electrical engineering and mechanics at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and he obtained a PhD in electronics at the Carlton University in Ottawa...
, engineer - Joan DaemenJoan DaemenJoan Daemen |Limburg]], Belgium) is a Belgian cryptographer and one of the designers of Rijndael, the Advanced Encryption Standard , together with Vincent Rijmen. He has also designed or co-designed the MMB, Square, SHARK, NOEKEON, 3-Way, and BaseKing block ciphers...
(b. 1965), cryptographer, one of the designers of Advanced Encryption StandardAdvanced Encryption StandardAdvanced Encryption Standard is a specification for the encryption of electronic data. It has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide. It supersedes DES...
(AES). - Noël DevischNoël DevischNoël Devisch is a Belgian businessman and former President of the Boerenbond in Leuven...
(b. 1943 ), agriculture - Julien De WildeJulien De WildeJulien De Wilde is a Belgian businessman. He is honorary chairman of Agoria and a member of the board of Bekaert, Telenet and Agfa-Gevaert.-Education:...
(b. 1967), civil engineer, businessman - Gabriel FehervariGabriel FehervariGabriel Fehervari is a Belgian businessman and CEO of the Alfacam Group, which consists of three divisions: Alfacam, Euro1080 and Eurolinx. He is the son of Hungarian immigrants...
, (b. 1970) law, businessman - Georges MeekersGeorges MeekersGeorges J. M. Meekers is a wine writer and educator.His writing career began in the 1990s, when he wrote a wine column for Malta Today. He continues to contribute to The Times of Malta and several international wine trade magazines, such as Harpers Magazine, with vintage reports on Malta and other...
(b. 1965), Belgian-born wine writer and educator - Willy GeysenWilly GeysenWilly Geysen is the head of the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and was President of Caritas Catholica Flanders from 1996 until 2008, when he was succeeded by Guido Van Oevelen.-Education:...
, law, head of the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIR) - Dr. A. Q. KhanAbdul Qadeer KhanAbdul Qadeer Khan , also known in Pakistan as Mohsin-e-Pakistan , D.Eng, Sc.D, HI, NI , FPAS; more widely known as Dr. A. Q...
(b. 1935), Founder of Pakistan's Nuclear Program. - Rudi PauwelsRudi PauwelsRudi Pauwels is a Belgian pharmacologist. He studied pharmaceutical sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and obtained a PhD with a dissertation on Development of New Anti-HIV Agents....
, pharmacologist, (b. 1960) co-founder of TibotecTibotecTibotec is a pharmaceutical company with a focus on research and development for the treatment of infectious diseases such as HIV , and Hepatitis C...
and VircoVircoVirco was a biotech company located in Mechelen, Belgium. It provides a quantitative phenotype prediction for HIV resistance testing. The prediction is achieved by performing a search in a database of genotype-phenotype pairs and matching the mutations in the database with those of the sample of... - Vincent RijmenVincent RijmenVincent Rijmen is a Belgian cryptographer and one of the two designers of the Rijndael, the Advanced Encryption Standard. Rijmen is also the co-designer of the WHIRLPOOL cryptographic hash function, and the block ciphers Anubis, KHAZAD, Square, NOEKEON and SHARK.In 1993, Rijmen obtained a degree...
(b. 1970), cryptographer, one of the designers of Advanced Encryption StandardAdvanced Encryption StandardAdvanced Encryption Standard is a specification for the encryption of electronic data. It has been adopted by the U.S. government and is now used worldwide. It supersedes DES...
(AES). - Guðmundur SteingrímssonGuðmundur SteingrímssonGuðmundur Steingrímsson is an Icelandic politician and son and grandson of former Icelandic Prime Ministers Steingrímur Hermannsson and Hermann Jónasson.-Career:Steingrímsson was elected to the Althing from the constituency of Norðvesturkjördæmi in 2009...
(b. 1972), Icelandic politician - Francine SwiggersFrancine SwiggersFrancine Swiggers is a Belgian businesswoman and since 1 November 2007 she is Chairman of the Management Board of the ARCO Group.She obtained a licentiate in Applied Economic Sciences and Master in Business Administration at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven . She started her career at the BACOB...
, economics, businesswoman - Frans VanistendaelFrans VanistendaelFranciscus Vanistendael is a Belgian expert on tax law and former professor at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven . Until 2005 he was dean of the law school of the KUL. He was a member of the Coudenberg group, a Belgian federalist think tank...
, law - Marc Van RanstMarc Van RanstMarc Van Ranst is a Belgian virologist and epidemiologist at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and the Rega Institute for Medical Research...
(b. 1965), physician, virologist - Herman Van RompuyHerman Van RompuyHerman Achille Van Rompuy is the first long-term and full-time President of the European Council...
(1947 - ), Belgian statesman. Appointed President of the European CouncilPresident of the European CouncilThe President of the European Council is a principal representative of the European Union on the world stage, and the person presiding over and driving forward the work of the European Council...
in November 2009. - Catherine VerfaillieCatherine VerfaillieCatherine M. Verfaillie is a Belgian molecular biologist and professor at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven . Her work on the ability of adult stem cells to differentiate to different cell types has garnered controversy due to accusations of poor laboratory practices and fabrication of data by...
, (b. 1957) physician, stem cellStem cellThis article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
scientist - Koen VervaekeKoen VervaekeKoen Vervaeke is a Belgian diplomat and since 6 December 2007 the first European Union’s ambassador as Special Representative and Head of the European Commission delegation to the African Union in Addis Abeba...
(b. 1959), history, diplomat
- Leon Bekaert
Honorary doctorates
Famous recipients of honorary doctorates at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven include:- Roger PenroseRoger PenroseSir Roger Penrose OM FRS is an English mathematical physicist and Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College...
(2005), professor in Mathematical Physics, University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - Mario Vargas LlosaMario Vargas LlosaJorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquis of Vargas Llosa is a Peruvian-Spanish writer, politician, journalist, essayist, and Nobel Prize laureate. Vargas Llosa is one of Latin America's most significant novelists and essayists, and one of the leading authors of his generation...
(2003), Peruvian writer - Carla Del PonteCarla Del PonteCarla Del Ponte is a former Chief Prosecutor of two United Nations international criminal law tribunals. A former Swiss attorney general, she was appointed prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in August...
(2002), former Chief prosecutorProsecutorThe prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
of two United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
international criminal lawInternational criminal lawInternational criminal law is a body of international law designed to prohibit certain categories of conduct commonly viewed as serious atrocities and to make perpetrators of such conduct criminally accountable for their perpetration. Principally, it deals with genocide, war crimes, crimes against...
tribunals - Alan GreenspanAlan GreenspanAlan Greenspan is an American economist who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. He currently works as a private advisor and provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC...
(1997), economist, former chairman of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve - Helmut KohlHelmut KohlHelmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
(1996), former Chancellor of Germany - Jacques DerridaJacques DerridaJacques Derrida was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria. He developed the critical theory known as deconstruction and his work has been labeled as post-structuralism and associated with postmodern philosophy...
, French philosopher - Nadine GordimerNadine GordimerNadine Gordimer is a South African writer and political activist. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature when she was recognised as a woman "who through her magnificent epic writing has – in the words of Alfred Nobel – been of very great benefit to humanity".Her writing has long dealt...
(1980), South African author, Booker Prize 1974, Nobel Prize in Literature 1991 - Helmut SchmidtHelmut SchmidtHelmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt is a German Social Democratic politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting...
(1983), former Chancellor of Germany - Martha NussbaumMartha NussbaumMartha Nussbaum , is an American philosopher with a particular interest in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, political philosophy and ethics....
(1997), American philosopher, University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890... - Oscar Arnulfo Romero, archbishop of San Salvador (El Salvador), human rights activist
- Patriarch Bartholomew I of ConstantinoplePatriarch Bartholomew I of ConstantinopleEcumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is the Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, and thus "first among equals" in the Eastern Orthodox Communion, since 2 November 1991...
(1996) - Mary RobinsonMary RobinsonMary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
(2000), former President of IrelandPresident of IrelandThe President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute... - Manuel CastellsManuel CastellsManuel Castells is a sociologist especially associated with information society and communication research....
(2004), Professor of SociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, Open University of Catalonia, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university... - Thomas S. PopkewitzThomas S. PopkewitzThomas S. Popkewitz is a curriculum theorist and professor from the United States of America, on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education. His studies are concerned with the knowledge or systems of reason that govern educational policy and research related to...
(2004), professor of curriculum theory, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of EducationUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison School of EducationThe University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education is a college within the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Although teacher education was offered at the university’s founding in 1848, the School was officially started in 1930. Now composed of eight academic departments, it is the third... - Roberto BenigniRoberto BenigniRoberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
(2007), Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television. - Jared DiamondJared DiamondJared Mason Diamond is an American scientist and author whose work draws from a variety of fields. He is currently Professor of Geography and Physiology at UCLA...
(2008), professor of GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and PhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, UCLAUniversity of California, Los AngelesThe University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... - Dirk ObbinkDirk ObbinkDirk D. Obbink is an American-born papyrologist and Classicist. He is the Lecturer in Papyrology and Greek Literature in the Faculty of Classics at Oxford University and is the head of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri Project...
, Lecturer in Papyrology and Greek Literature at Oxford UniversityUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and the head of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri Project. - John BraithwaiteJohn Braithwaite (academic)John Braithwaite is an academic at the Australian National University . As a criminologist, he is particularly interested in the role of restorative justice, shame management and reintegration in crime prevention. His book Crime, Shame and Reintegration demonstrated that current criminal...
(2008), Australian criminologist (application of the idea of restorative justice to business regulation and peacebuilding - Timothy Garton AshTimothy Garton AshTimothy Garton Ash is a British historian, author and commentator. He is currently serving as Professor of European Studies at Oxford University. Much of his work has been concerned with the late modern and contemporary history of Central and Eastern Europe...
(2011), British historian and Professor of European Studies, University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - Rowan WilliamsRowan WilliamsRowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
(2011), Archbishop of Canterbury.
Organisations
Notable divisions of the university include the Higher Institute of PhilosophyHigher Institute of Philosophy
The Higher Institute of Philosophy of the Catholic University of Leuven was founded in 1889 by Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier to be a beacon of Neo-Thomist philosophy...
and the Rega Institute for Medical Research
Rega Institute for Medical Research
The Rega Institute for Medical Research is a Belgian scientific establishment that is part of the Catholic University of Leuven in central Belgium...
.
The university is a member of the Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology (VIB). The Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) is a spin-off company of the university.
The students of the university are gathered together in the student's society LOKO
Loko
Loko may refer to:* Port Loko, Sierra Leone, Africa* Loko people, a people of Sierra Leone* Loko language, a language of Sierra Leone* Loco or Loko, a figure in Haitian Vodou belief* Loko, a goddess in Dahomey mythology...
. They have representatives in most meetings at the university, including the Board of Directors.
Since July 2002, thirteen higher education institutes have formed the K.U.Leuven Association
K.U.Leuven Association
The K.U.Leuven Association is a large Belgian association for higher education. The leading institute is the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.-Introduction:...
. The members are:
- Europese Hogeschool BrusselEuropese Hogeschool BrusselHogeschool-Universiteit Brussel is a European university which was founded in 2007. The HUBrussel is the result of the merger between Brussels-based colleges European University College Brussels, VLEKHO, HONIM and the Catholic University of Brussels .HUBrussel offers degrees both on university and...
- Groep T
- Hogeschool voor Kunsten en Architectuur
- Hogeschool Sint-Lukas BrusselHogeschool Sint-Lukas BrusselHogeschool Sint-Lukas Brussel, based in the Schaarbeek municipality of Brussels, Belgium, is said to still be the only independent art school in Flanders...
- LemmensinstituutLemmensinstituutThe Lemmensinstituut is a Belgian conservatory in Leuven named after Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens. It was founded in 1879 and has a reputation for offering one of Europe's finest Music Therapy degree programs...
- Media & Design Academie
- Hogeschool Sint-Lukas Brussel
- Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst
- Katholieke Hogeschool Brugge-OostendeKatholieke Hogeschool Brugge-OostendeThe Katholieke Hogeschool Brugge-Oostende is a university college in Belgium which was founded in the 1990s. It is the result of a merger between two colleges from Ostend and three colleges from Bruges....
(KHBO) - Katholieke Hogeschool KempenKatholieke Hogeschool KempenThe Katholieke Hogeschool Kempen is a university college where students can obtain a professional bachelor's degree in several domains...
- Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven
- Katholieke Hogeschool Limburg (KHLim)
- Lessius MechelenLessius MechelenThe Lessius Mechelen is a university college located in Mechelen, Belgium.It was created during a series of rationalization and merger operations in the Flemish higher education. In a first operation in 1995-1996 several existing schools were merged: a trade school, some schools for teachers, a...
- Katholieke Hogeschool Sint-Lieven (KaHo Sint-Lieven)
- Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-VlaanderenKatholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-VlaanderenThe Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen or KATHO is a university college in West-Flanders. It has four campusses: Kortrijk, Roeselare, Tielt and Torhout. Since September 1st 2002 KATHO is a member of the Association K.U.Leuven....
(KATHO) - Lessius HogeschoolLessius HogeschoolThe Lessius is a university college located in Belgium. It has several campusses divided over two main locations: Lessius Antwerp and Lessius Mechelen.This institute of higher education is a member of the K.U.Leuven Association....
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Electronic learning environment: TOLEDO
Toledo, which started in September 2001, was gradually developed into the central electronic learning environment at the Association K.U.Leuven.The word is an acronym for "TOetsen en LEren Doeltreffend Ondersteunen" (English: effectively supporting testing and learning). It is the collective name for a number of commercial software programs and tools, such as Blackboard
Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. is an enterprise software company with its corporate headquarters in Washington, D.C. and is primarily known as a developer of education software, in particular learning management systems. Blackboard was founded by CEO Michael Chasen and chairman Matthew Pittinsky in 1997 and...
. The project offers the Question Mark Perception assignment software to all institution members and has implemented the Ariadne KPS
Ariadne (software)
Ariadne is a European association for sharing knowledge and fostering international cooperation in teaching that is open to the world....
to reuse digital learning objects inside the Blackboard environment.
International acclaim
In 2010 QS World University RankingsQS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
ranked KU Leuven 86th overall in the world, dropping back 21 places from its position in the 2009 THE–QS World University Rankings list of the top 200 world universities (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
and QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
parted ways to produce separate rankings), where KU Leuven was ranked in 65th place. An overview of the THE-QS Rankings up to 2010:
| Year | Rank (Change) |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 95 |
| 2006 | 96 ( 1) |
| 2007 | 61 ( 35) |
| 2008 | 72 ( 11) |
| 2009 | 65 ( 7) |
| 2010 | 86 ( 21) - QS 119 - THE |
| 2011 | 68 ( 18) - QS 67( 52) - THE |
See also
- Academic libraries in LeuvenAcademic libraries in LeuvenThe city of Leuven was not only the seat of three different Universities, but also through them, the seat of prestigious academic libraries.- The Library of the Old University of Leuven :...
- Arenberg Research-ParkArenberg Research-ParkThe Arenberg Research-Park is a science park founded by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and located nearby the Arenberg campus of the university in Heverlee...
- Haasrode Research-ParkHaasrode Research-Park]The Haasrode Research-Park business and research park in Heverlee is just outside the Brussels periphery. Divided in a research and science park and a trade park it houses an important variety of industries...
- List of universities in Belgium
- Science and technology in FlandersScience and technology in FlandersScience and technology in Flanders, the northern region of Belgium , is well developed with the presence of several universities and research institutes...
- University FoundationUniversity FoundationThe Belgian University Foundation was founded in 1920. The goal of the Foundation, as was put forward by Emile Francqui, is to promote scientific activity at Belgian universities....