Leuven

Louvain-la-Neuve Its physical situation is ideal: with one site in Louvain-la-Neuve (25 kilometres from Brussels) and onein Brussels (the commune of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert), almost one in two graduates in French speaking Belgium graduate from UCL. Right at the centre of Europe, the two sites attract some 4,000 students from around the world. The universitys 130,000 alumni create an active and global intellectual network. Some of these alumni are Heads of State, some are company directors: all are professionals, economically and culturally active in all areas of society. UCL takes part in a number of European exchange programmes, amongst which is the well-known ERASMUS scheme. In addition, the university pays particular attention to its links with the ten central and eastern European countries which joined the European Union in May 2004. UCL also belongs to numerous international networks such as the CEMS network of Management schools and the Coimbra group, which brings together the oldest European universities. It is also an official centre for the University of Cambridge certificates in English. For many years now, UCL has maintained academic and cultural relations with countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and there are large student communities from these countries at the university, which amongst other things are involved in organizing the teaching and research in conjunction with their home universities. UCLs links with the United States, Canada and other non-European industrialized countries have also strengthened over the years, a development which has led to the creation of a global European exchange scheme, known as the Mercator programme. One of UCLs five Pro-Rectors has specific responsibility for international relations.Town size: year 2007 - 91,942