The catholic university of Louvain (UCL), founded in 1425, is one of the oldest European universities and the first French-speaking university in Belgium. It is a comprehensive, multi-site university (6 in total) with more than 30,000 students from bachelor’s to doctorate level, including continuing education in all disciplines. Every year, the university attracts more than 5,000 international students of 127 nationalities. The university employs 6,000 people in 14 faculties and 21 research institutes. It includes two sites in the border region, Tournai and Mons. The UCL-Mons campus is developing an offer in human sciences, specifically related to political and social sciences, communication sciences, management sciences and management engineering. It includes a « les Ateliers des Fucam » site in the city centre entirely dedicated to continuing education.
UCL includes the EU in its research (e.g. Institut Science Politique Louvain Europe and Institut des Études européennes) and teaching (e.g. Master 120 in European Studies, double Master in European and International Studies with the University of Strasbourg, the Velge Chair « European Values », the Master of specialisation in interdisciplinary analysis of European construction). She has taken part in numerous collaborative projects and Marie Curie actions. With regard to the 7th Framework Programme, during the period 2007-2013, UCL took part in 176 projects. UCL participated in 7 ERASMUS Mundus European Masters Courses and 4 ERASMUS Mundus Joint Doctoral Programmes. Regarding the new Horizon 2020 framework programme, UCL has already successfully contributed to 23 projects and to date has received a total of 28 ERC grants. UCL is also active in the ERASMUS+ programme: 3 Jean Monnet Networks, 6 Strategic Partnerships, 1 Knowledge Alliance, 2 Capacity Building and an action to support policy reform.
Its interests in border issues and border dynamics have been materialised in particular through its participation in various INTERREG projects, including for the current period the TRANSUNIV project involving the French Universities of the North of France, UGent, KULeuven, UNamure, UMons, etc.
UCL is involved in border research through the IFD (Institut des frontières et des discontinuités) scientific interest grouping (GIS): this cross-border research institute founded in 2011 brings together UCL, the University of Lille 1 and Université Littoral et Côte d’Opale, the EA 2468 discontinued unit of the University of Artois, and the EA 2077 Habiter unit of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. The UCL thus cooperates closely with the Jean Monnet Chair of the University of Artois on borders and European integration.
