Catholic University of Louvain

The Catholic University of Leuven is the largest university in Belgium, one of the top institutions of higher learning in Europe, and one of the world's famous universities. Founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V, it is the oldest Catholic university in existence and the oldest university in the "Low Countries" of Western Europe (including the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and other countries). Founded in 1425, it is the oldest religious university in Europe with a history of 575 years. Located in the Flemish region of Belgium, it belongs to the undergraduate nature of the Catholic Church, and there is another Christian branch, referred to as: K.U. Leuven or KUL. Since 1968, it has been divided into two universities - the Catholic University of Leuven (Dutch) and the Catholic University of Leuven (French).

1425 was the Jubilee of the Church. At the proposal of John, the fourth Duke of Brabant, Pope Martin V ordered the establishment of the Catholic University of Leuven on December 9. At the beginning of its founding, the teachers mainly came from the University of Paris, the University of Cologne and the University of Vienna, with liberal arts schools, law schools and medical schools. In 1432, a seminary was established. Later, the scale gradually expanded and its academic reputation also improved significantly. Many scholars also come here to teach.

Erasmus taught at the University of Leuven in the 16th century, and in 1517 founded the Trilingual Institute to study Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, making Leuven a center of humanist research. The reformist Pope Adrian VI was also a professor at Leuven. The philosopher Lipsius also taught here for many years. The scientific tradition of Leuven University stems from the mathematician Frisian, who trained many scientists, such as the cartographer Mercator, whose cartographic methods are still used today; the botanist Dornes and Visarius, the father of modern anatomy, also studied or taught at Leuven.

Because it is a Catholic university, crosses are hung in every classroom, whether new or old, and monks in black robes shuttle through the school. In addition, the elders and young classes are well-behaved, and students are not allowed to call professors by their names; when meeting teachers, male students wear suits and female students wear long skirts; even if they are both professors, young teachers are respectful to senior scholars, inheriting the ancient culture and elegance of Europe. Unlike the United States, students are hardly seen wearing sneakers here.