Université libre de Bruxelles

Université libre de Bruxelles

Latin: Universitas Bruxellensis
Motto	Scientia vincere tenebras
Motto in English	Conquering darkness with knowledge
Type	Independent/Partly state funded
Established	1834
President	Eric De Keuleneer
Rector	Didier Viviers
Administrative staff	4,400
Students	24,236 (2012)[1]
Location	Brussels, Belgium
Campus	Solbosch, Plaine, Erasme, Gosselies
Affiliations	EUA, AUF, ENTREE, IMCC, T.I.M.E., UNICA, Atomium Culture
Website	http://www.ulb.ac.be/

The Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) (French for Free University of Brussels, though rarely translated, the official name of the University is Université libre de Bruxelles) is a French-speaking private research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has about 24,200 students, 32% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.^[2]

Name

There are two universities, the French-speaking Université libre de Bruxelles ULB, and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), so the English translation of Free University of Brussel is ambiguous and not used by the ULB or the VUB communities.

The main building on the Solbosch campus.

History

The history of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is closely linked with that of Belgium itself. When the nine provinces that broke away from the Kingdom of the Netherlands formed the Belgian State in 1830, there were three state universities in the country: Ghent, Liege and Leuven. Even though Brussels had been promoted to the rank of capital, it still had no university.

For this reason, in 1831 a group of leading Brussels Masonic figures in the fields of the arts, science and education set themselves the objective of creating a university for the city. They had the choice between a state university and, failing that, a private institution, since the Belgian Constitution, the most liberal in Europe, allowed for this possibility.

Finding the financial burden of the three existing universities too onerous, the Belgian government showed little enthusiasm for yet another state university. However, when in 1834 the episcopate decided to found the Catholic University of Mechlin, things began to happen very quickly. The liberal professions and Freemasons, led by Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen and Auguste Baron, who were promoting the Brussels university project, stepped up their efforts, with the result that the Free University of Belgium, as it was originally known, inaugurated its first academic year on 20 November 1834.

From 1836 it was to be called the Université libre de Bruxelles, but although the geographical term may have changed, the adjective "free" remained. This was a key point.^[3]

The school's football (soccer) team won the bronze medal at the 1900 Summer Olympics.

Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen, who helped make the university, is the symbol of the creation of the university. November 20, called 'St V', is a holiday for students of both the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Since 1935 some courses have been taught in both French and Dutch, but it was only in 1963 that all faculties held courses in both languages. Shortly after the language dispute at the Catholic University of Leuven, in October 1969 the French and Dutch entities of the ULB separated into two distinct universities. With the act of 28 May 1970, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université libre de Bruxelles officially became two separate legal, administrative and scientific entities.

Campus Erasme

In 2010 ULB, for its excellence in co-operation projects with the corporate world in Belgium, was chosen to be a part of the BBNM Group. Today, they are represented among the BBNM Member schools.^[4]

Campuses

The clocktower at the Campus du Solbosch in the City of Brussels

The ULB comprises three main campuses: the Campus de la Plaine with faculties such as the faculty of pharmacy in Ixelles, the Campus du Solbosch, which is the main and biggest campus of the university, on the territories of Brussels and Ixelles municipalities, in the Brussels-Capital Region and the Campus Erasme (faculty of medicine) in Anderlecht beside the Erasmus Hospital but the university also has buildings and activities in Charleroi on the Aéropole Science Park, Parentville, Treignes and Nivelles.

Faculties, schools and institutes

1. Interfacultary School of Bio-Engineering
2. School of Public Health
3. High institute of Physical Education, and Kinesitherapy
4. Institute of Work Sciences
5. Institute of Statistics and Operational Research
6. Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics

Rankings

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

• Eugene Goblet d'Alviella (1846–1925), historian and politician
• Jules Bordet (1870–1961), physician, laureate of the 1919 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Albert Claude (24 August 1899 – 22 May 1983), biologist, laureate of the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Paul Hymans (1865–1941), law, first President of the League of Nations
• Ilya Prigogine, (1917–2003), physicist and chemist, laureate of the 1955 Francqui Prize, and laureate of the 1977 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Théophile de Donder, (1872–1957), physicist and mathematician, and father of irreversible thermodynamics
• Jacques Tits (born 12 August 1930), Belgian mathematician, laureate of the 1993 Wolf Prize and of the 2008 Abel Prize
• Emile Vandervelde (1866–1938), statesman, professor of law and sociology

Nobel prizes

• Henri La Fontaine (1854-1943)
• Jules Bordet (1870-1961)
• Albert Claude (1898-1983)
• Ilya Prigogine (1917-2003)
• François Englert (1932)

See also

• Aéropole Science Park
• Atomium Culture
• BioVallée
• Institut Jules Bordet
• Science and technology in Brussels
• Solvay Business School
• Top Industrial Managers for Europe
• University Foundation
• Vrije Universiteit Brussel

References

• Despy, A., 150 Ans De L‘Ulb Universite Libre De Bruxelles, Brussels, 1984
• Noel, F, 1894 Universite Libre De Bruxelles En Crise, Brussels, 1994
• The ULB, a university born of an idea
• ULB, at a glance

Notes and references

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Université libre de Bruxelles.

• Official home page

Coordinates: 50°48′42″N 4°22′52″E / 50.81167°N 4.38111°E / 50.81167; 4.38111

Universities in Belgium Dutch-speaking University of Antwerp (UA) University College of Brussels (HUB) Free University of Brussels (VUB) Ghent University (UGent) University of Hasselt (UHasselt) KU Leuven (KULeuven) French-speaking Free University of Brussels (ULB) University of Liège (ULg) Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) University of Mons (UMons) University of Namur (UNamur) Université Saint-Louis Bruxelles (USLB) Others ICHEC Management School [Brussels] Faculty for Protestant Theology [Brussels] Evangelical Theological Faculty [Leuven] transnational University Limburg [Hasselt, Belgium and Maastricht, Netherlands] Postgraduate College of Europe [Bruges] Institute of Tropical Medicine [Antwerp] Vlerick Business School [Ghent and Leuven] Military Royal Military Academy [Brussels]