About Louvain-la-Neuve
Louvain-la-neuve is a town located in Belgium. It is situated 30 km south-east of Brussels, in the French-speaking part of the country. The city was built in one time during the sixties to house the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL); following the linguistic quarrels that provoked the splitting of the Catholic University of Leuven. The city counts more than 19.000 inhabitants without considering all the students converging through it.
The city
Although the recent construction of L'Esplanade, a shopping complex, the Aula Magna exhibition centre and auditorium, as well as a large cinema complex, the city still lives following the rhythms of the university.
Louvain-la-neuve is a pedestrian city with underground roads. The contrast between the recent and innovative architecture and nature including an artificial lake or the surrounding woods makes the city really special. Hate it or love it, this city cannot be forgotten!
The university
The Université Catholique de Louvain is a very accredited university. In 2011, QS World University Rankings ranked it 125th overall in the world. It is a centre of knowledge and innovation, a place of cultural celebration and invention, of achievement and extending the limits of human accomplishment.
The Louvain School of Engineering (EPL) is especially a leading figure in the stream of innovation and improvement. The academic corps provides high quality lectures on a wide range of subjects while the faculty offers all the needed tools for an accomplished formation.
The students
The city of Louvain-la-neuve has seen an exponential growth in terms of the number and the quality of the student projects thanks to the incredible and ever-present support from university. If there was a ranking for the number of student associations, the UCL would certainly be leading it.
The city of Louvain-la-neuve is also famous all over Belgium for its student nightlife. In particular it hosts the 24h bike ride of Louvain-la-neuve which is the biggest student event in Belgium.
