Université libre de Bruxelles


The Université libre de Bruxelles, abbreviated ULB, is a French-speaking private research university in Brussels, Belgium.
ULB is one of two institutions which trace their origins to the Free University of Brussels, founded in 1834 by Belgian lawyer Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. This split along linguistic lines in 1969 into the French-speaking ULB and Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel, both founded in 1970. it is one of the most important Belgian universities. A major research center open to Europe and the world, it has about 24,200 students, 33% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff. In 2019, ULB was globally ranked 201th-250th by The Times Higher Education, 151th-200th by Shanghai Ranking.

Name

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. Neither uses the English translation, since it is ambiguous.

History

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 opened on 20 November 1834. In 1836, it changed its name to Université Libre de Bruxelles.
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.
November 20, called Saint Verhagen for Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen, is a holiday for students of both the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Campuses

The ULB comprises three main campuses: the Solbosch campus, on the territories of Brussels and Ixelles municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region, the Plaine campus in Ixelles, and the Erasmus campus in Anderlecht, beside the Erasmus Hospital.
The main and largest campus of the university is the Solbosch, which hosts the administration and general services of the university. It also includes most of the faculties of the humanities, the École polytechnique, the large library of social sciences, and among the museums of the ULB, the Museum of Zoology and Anthropology, the Allende exhibition room and the M. De Ghelderode Museum.
The Plaine campus hosts the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Pharmacy. There are also the Experimentariums of physics and chemistry, the Museum of Medicinal Plants and Pharmacy and student housing. This site is served by the metro station: Delta.
The Erasmus campus houses the Erasmus Hospital and the Pôle Santé, the Faculty of Medicine, the School of Public Health and the Faculty of Motor Sciences. There is also the School of Nursing, the Museum of Medicine and the Museum of Human Anatomy and Embryology. This site is served by the metro station: Erasmus.
The university also has buildings and activities in the Brussels municipality of Auderghem, and outside of Brussels, in Charleroi on the Aéropole Science Park and Nivelles.

Faculties, schools and institute

, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Université de Montréal, Waseda University, Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris VI, BeiHang University, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Université de Lausanne, Université de Genève, University Ouaga I Pr. Joseph Ki-Zerbo, University of Lubumbashi
Faculty or InstituteBachelor's degreesMaster's degreesComplementary master's degrees
Faculty of ArchitectureArchitectureArchitecture
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersAncient Languages and Literature:
1. Classic orientation;
2. Oriental orientation		Ancient Languages and Literature:
1. Classic orientation
2. Oriental orientation 		African Languages and Cultures
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersAncient Languages and Literature:
1. Classic orientation;
2. Oriental orientation		Ancient Languages and Literature:
1. Classic orientation
2. Oriental orientation 		Pedagogy in Higher Education
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersAncient Languages and Literature:
1. Classic orientation;
2. Oriental orientation		Ancient Languages and Literature:
1. Classic orientation
2. Oriental orientation 		Language Sciences
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersArt History and ArchaeologyArt History and Archaeology
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersArt History and Archaeology: MusicologyArt History and Archaeology: Musicology
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersFrench and Roman Languages and LiteratureCultural Management
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersHistoryEthics
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersInformation and CommunicationFrench and Roman Languages and Literature
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersModern Languages and LiteratureFrench and Roman Languages and Literature: French Foreign Language
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersModern Languages and Literature:
1. General orientation
2. Germanic orientation
3. Oriental orientation
4. Slavic orientation		History
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersPhilosophyInformation and Communication
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersReligious and Secular StudiesInformation and Communication Sciences and Technologies
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersLinguistics
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersModern Languages and Literature -
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersModern Languages and Literature:
1. Arab orientation
2. Germanic orientation
3. Oriental orientation
4. Slavic orientation
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersMultilingual Communication
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersPerforming Arts
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersPhilosophy
Faculty of Philosophy and LettersReligious and Secular Studies
Faculty of Law and Criminological ScienceLawCriminologyEconomic Law
Faculty of Law and Criminological ScienceLawInternational Law
Faculty of Law and Criminological ScienceNotaries
Faculty of Law and Criminological SciencePublic and Administrative Law
Faculty of Law and Criminological ScienceSocial Law
Faculty of Law and Criminological ScienceTax Law
Faculty of Psychological Science, and of EducationPsychology and Educational SciencesEducational SciencesPedagogy in Higher Education
Faculty of Psychological Science, and of EducationPsychology and Educational Sciences: Speech TherapyPsychologyPsychoanalytic Theories
Faculty of Psychological Science, and of EducationSpeech TherapyRisk Management and Well-being at Work
Faculty of Sciences
BiologyActuarial ScienceNanotechnology
Faculty of Sciences
ChemistryBiochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology
Faculty of Sciences
Computer SciencesBioengineering: Agricultural Sciences
Faculty of Sciences
Engineering: BioengineeringBioengineering: Chemistry and Bio-industries
Faculty of Sciences
GeographyBioengineering: Environmental Sciences and Technologies
Faculty of Sciences
GeologyBioinformatics and Modeling
Faculty of Sciences
MathematicsBiology
Faculty of Sciences
PhysicsChemistry
Faculty of Sciences
Sciences Computer Sciences
Faculty of Sciences
Environmental Sciences and Management
Faculty of Sciences
Geography
Faculty of Sciences
Geology
Faculty of Sciences
Mathematics
Faculty of Sciences
Organismal Biology and Ecology
Faculty of Sciences
Physics
Faculty of Sciences
Statistics
Faculty of Sciences
Tourism Sciences and Management
'Engineering: BioengineeringBioengineering: Agricultural SciencesConservation and Restoration of Immovable Cultural Heritage
'Engineering: CivilBioengineering: Chemistry and Bio-industriesNanotechnology
'Engineering: Civil ArchitectBioengineering: Environmental Sciences and TechnologiesNuclear Engineering
'Civil Engineering: ArchitecturalTransportation Management
'Civil Engineering: BiomedicalUrban and Regional Planning
'Civil Engineering: Chemistry and Material Science
'Civil Engineering: Computer
'Civil Engineering: Constructions
'Civil Engineering: Electrical
'Civil Engineering: Electro-mechanical
'Civil Engineering: Mechanical
'Civil Engineering: Physicist
Faculty of MedicineBiomedical SciencesBiomedical Sciences
Faculty of MedicineDentistryDentistry
Faculty of MedicineMedicineMedicine
Faculty of MedicineVeterinary Medicine
'Pharmaceutical SciencesBiomedical SciencesClinical Biology
'Pharmaceutical SciencesHospital Pharmacy
Industrial Pharmacy
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesHuman and Social ScienceAnthropology
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesPolitical ScienceHuman Resources Management
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesSociology and AnthropologyPolitical Science
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesPolitical Science: International Relations
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesPopulation and Development
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesPublic Administration
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesSociology
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesSociology and Anthropology
Faculty of Social and Political SciencesWork Science
Solvay Brussels School of Economics and ManagementBusiness EngineeringBusiness EngineeringIndustrial Management and Technology
Solvay Brussels School of Economics and ManagementEconomicsEconomics Microfinance
Institute of European StudiesEuropean StudiesEuropean Law
Institute of European StudiesInterdisciplinary Analysis of European Construction

Research

At the heart of the Free University of Brussels there are at least 2000 PhD students and around 3600 researchers and lecturers who work around different scientific fields and produce cutting edge research.
The projects of these scientists span thematics that concern exact, applied and human sciences and researchers at the heart of the ULB have been awarded numerous international awards and recognitions.
The research carried out at the ULB is financed by different bodies such as the European Research Council, the Walloon Region, the Brussels Capital Region, the National Fund for Scientific Research, or one of the foundations that are dedicated to research at the ULB; the ULB Foundation or the Erasme Funds.

Rankings

Notable alumni and faculty

For pre-1970 notable faculty and alumni, see Free University of Brussels.