Université Libre de Bruxelles

About

Located in Brussels, Belgium, the Université Libre de Bruxelles is a comprehensive French-speaking research institution renowned globally for its strong programs in political science, law, medicine, and engineering. International students make up a significant portion of the student body, bringing a truly multicultural dynamic to its vibrant urban campuses situated in the heart of Europe. While most undergraduate degrees are taught in French, the university offers an expanding selection of master's and doctoral programs fully conducted in English, alongside robust French language support courses. The dedicated International Relations Office provides comprehensive guidance on housing, visas, and academic integration, ensuring newcomers easily navigate administrative processes. A particularly distinctive characteristic of the institution is its foundational principle of "free inquiry," which actively fosters critical thinking, secularism, and academic independence across all its faculties and research centers.

Background

The Université libre de Bruxelles (French: [ynivɛʁsite libʁ də bʁysɛl]; lit. 'Free University of Brussels'; abbreviated ULB) is a French-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has four campuses: the Solbosch/Solbos campus (in the City of Brussels and Ixelles), the La Plaine/Het Plein campus (in Ixelles), the Erasme/Erasmus campus (in Anderlecht), and the Gosselies campus (in Charleroi). The Université libre de Bruxelles emerged from the 1969 split of the Free University of Brussels, which was founded in 1834 by the lawyer and liberal politician Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. The founder aimed to establish a university independent from state and church, where academic freedom would prevail. This is still reflected in the university's motto Scientia vincere tenebras, or "Conquering darkness through science...

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