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)
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) 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.

Brussels has two universities whose names mean Free University of Brussels in English: the French-speaking Université libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Neither uses the English translation, since it is ambiguous.

When the Belgian State was formed in 1830 by nine breakaway provinces from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it had three state universities, in Ghent, Liège and Leuven, but no university in the new capital, Brussels. Since the government was reluctant to fund another state university, a group of Freemasons and intellectuals led by Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen and Auguste Baron planned to create a private university, which was permitted under the Belgian Constitution. After the Catholic Church sponsored the foundation of the Catholic University of Mechlin in 1834, the Université libre de Belgique (Free University of Belgium) opened on 20 November 1834. In 1836 it changed its name to Université libre de Bruxelles.

As part of its commitment to academic freedom, ULB closed down in 1941 rather than collaborate with the Nazi occupation of Belgium.

Since 1935 some courses have been taught in both French and Dutch. Beginning in 1963 all faculties offered courses in both languages. In October 1969, shortly after the language dispute at the Catholic University of Leuven, 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.