KU Leuven

KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven).}} is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1425, it is the oldest university in Belgium and the oldest university in the Low Countries.

In addition to its main campus in Leuven, it has satellite campuses in Kortrijk, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Ostend, Geel, Diepenbeek, Aalst, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, and in Belgium's capital Brussels. KU Leuven is the largest university in Belgium and the Low Countries and the largest Dutch-language university in the world. In 2021–22, more than 65,000 students were enrolled, with 21% being international students. Its primary language of instruction is Dutch, although several programs are taught in English, particularly graduate and postgraduate degrees. It is routinely ranked among the top 50 universities in the world by Times Higher Education.

Although Catholic in theology and heritage, KU Leuven operates independently from the Church. KU Leuven previously only accepted baptized Catholics, but is now open to students from different faiths or life-stances.

While nowadays only the acronymic name KU Leuven is used, the university's legal name is ''Katholieke Universiteit Leuven'', officially ''Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven'',, KU Leuven is the university's name in all languages. However, according to the university's [https://admin.kuleuven.be/sab/jd/en/id-sheet statutes], the [https://kbopub.economie.fgov.be/kbopub/toonondernemingps.html?lang=en&ondernemingsnummer=419052173 university's legal name] by the [http://reflex.raadvst-consetat.be/reflex/index.reflex?docid=41280&lang=fr law of 28 May 1970 issuing legal personality to the institution] is ''Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven,'' which is used in the university's own [http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_tsv/tsv_rech.pl?language=fr&btw=0419052173&liste=Liste official publications], with a variant ''Katholieke Universiteit Leuven'' [https://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/onderwijsaanbod/adres.aspx?sn=110131 according to the Flemish Community of Belgium].}} which translates in English as Catholic University of Leuven. However, the acronymic name is not translated in official communications, like its similarly named French-language sister university Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain). Provided by Wikipedia