Lovanium University

Lovanium University (French: Université Lovanium) was a Catholic Jesuit university in Kinshasa in the Belgian Congo. The university was established in 1954 on the Kimwenza plateau, near Kinshasa. The university continued to function after independence until it was merged into the National University of Zaire in 1971. It can be considered an antecedent of the University of Kinshasa.

Early history

Before the foundation of Lovanium, the Catholic University of Louvain already operated multiple institutes for higher education in the Belgian Congo. The Fomulac (Fondation médicale de l'université de Louvain au Congo), was founded in 1926, with the goal of forming Congolese medical personnel and researchers specialized in tropical medicine. In 1932 the Catholic University of Louvain founded the Cadulac (Centres agronomiques de l'université de Louvain au Congo) in Kisantu. Cadulac was specialized in agricultural sciences and formed the basis for what was later to become Lovanium.^[1]

Lovanium

The university was established in 1954 on the Kimwenza plateau, near Leopoldville (now Kinshasa).^[2] Lovanium was founded by the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, and was named after it (Lovanium being Latin for Leuven). When it opened, the university received heavy subsidies from the colonial government, it also received funding from the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development and was lauded as the best university in Africa.^[3]^[4] The official opening of the university was in 1954, the first students were to graduate from Lovanium in 1958.

Africa's first nuclear reactor, TRIGA I, was established at Lovanium in 1958, in conjunction with the U.S. Atoms for Peace program.^[5]

In August 1971, the university merged with two other universities in the Congo to form the federalised National University of Zaire (Université Nationale du Zaïre, UNAZA). Between 1980 and 1991, the universities were again divided into three institutions, the University of Kinshasa, Kisangani University, and the University of Lubumbashi.

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

References

^ Hyacinthe Vanderyst: La future université catholique au Congo belge occidental, dans Revue missionnaire, 1927, pp.253–257.
^ Muketa, Jacques Fumunzanza (2008). Kinshasa. Editions L'Harmattan. p. 215. ISBN 978-2-296-07658-7.
^ World Bank (2005). Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Publications. pp. 102–122. ISBN 9780821361214.
^ Greenhouse, Steven (2 June 1988). "Kinshasa Journal; Hunger Competes With a Thirst for Knowledge". The New York Times. New York. pp. Section A, Page 4, Column 3, Foreign Desk.
^ Williams, Susan (2016). Spies in the Congo. New York: Public Affairs. p. 258. ISBN 9781610396547.

External links

The New Yorker 1962 article
History of Higher Education

Universities of Louvain/Leuven

1425–1797

Old University of Leuven	Faculty of Theology Arras College Collegium Trilingue Holy Ghost College Liège College Saint Ivo's College Pope's College Saint Anne's College St Anthony's College Trinity College University Hall Academic staff Alumni

1817–1835

State University of Leuven

1834–1835

Catholic University of Mechlin

1835–1968

Catholic University of Louvain	Institutions: American College of the Immaculate Conception St Anthony's College Lovanium University Faculty of Theology University Hall Personalities: Pope Gregory XVI Rector Pierre de Ram Désiré-Joseph Mercier Rector Paulin Ladeuze Georges Lemaître Nobel prizes: Auguste Beernaert Dominique Pire Alumni Belgian American Educational Foundation Sedes Sapientiae Split of the Catholic University of Louvain

Catholic
University
of Louvain

Institutions: American College of the Immaculate Conception
St Anthony's College
Lovanium University
Faculty of Theology
University Hall
Personalities: Pope Gregory XVI
Rector Pierre de Ram
Désiré-Joseph Mercier
Rector Paulin Ladeuze
Georges Lemaître
Nobel prizes: Auguste Beernaert
Dominique Pire
Alumni
Belgian American Educational Foundation
Sedes Sapientiae
Split of the Catholic University of Louvain

Since 1968

UCLouvain

Campuses	Louvain-la-Neuve Brussels Woluwe FUCaM Mons Saint-Louis Brussels CHU Namur UCLouvain Charleroi
Cities	Louvain-la-Neuve Brussels Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Saint-Gilles Mons Tournai Charleroi Namur Dinant Yvoir
Faculties	Louvain School of Management Louvain School of Engineering Marie Haps Faculty of Translation and Interpreting Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences and Communication Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning
Research	Higher Institute of Philosophy Cyclotron Research Center Center for Operations Research and Econometrics Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters Centre d'Etudes des Crises et Conflits Internationaux Hoover Chair Laboratory for the Analysis of Organisational Communication Systems
Hospitals	Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc CHU UCLouvain Namur
Press	Presses universitaires de Louvain Revue philosophique de Louvain International Philosophical Bibliography Cahiers de l'Institut de Linguistique de Louvain Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium
Subsidiary entities	Musée L Aula Magna Louvain-la-Neuve Cyclotron Louvain Coopération Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park Initialis Science Park Académie Louvain
Rectors	Pierre Macq Bernard Coulie Vincent Blondel
Nobel prizes	Christian de Duve Albert Claude
Miscellaneous	Louvain modularity Claroline Orchestre Symphonique des Étudiants de Louvain-la-Neuve 24h vélo de Louvain-la-Neuve Progressive Congolese Students ANLO Oz Ekiga Ion Beam Applications Kot-à-projet
Academic staff Alumni

KU Leuven

Campuses	KULAK
Cities	Leuven Kortrijk Antwerp Ghent Bruges Geel Diepenbeek Aalst Sint-Katelijne-Waver Brussels
Faculties	Institute of Philosophy
Research	Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies Rega Institute for Medical Research Switch Laboratory
Hospitals	UZ Leuven
Press	Leuven University Press Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics
Subsidiary entities	Arenberg Castle Arenberg Research-Park KU Leuven Association University Hall
Rectors	Pieter De Somer Marc Vervenne Mark Waer Rik Torfs Luc Sels

Other

Evangelical Theological Faculty

Academic libraries in Leuven · Universities in Leuven

v t e Universities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Académie des Beaux-Arts (Kinshasa) École d'Informatique d'Électronique et d'Expertise comptable Christian Alliance University University of Bandundu University of Goma University of Kamina University of Kikwit University of Kindu University of Kinshasa Lovanium University University of Kisangani University of Kolwezi Kongo University University of Lubumbashi University of Mbandaka University of Mbuji Mayi Université Libre de Kinshasa Adventist University of Goma Adventist University of Lukanga Christian Bilingual University of Congo Congolese Diplomatic Academy Eben-Ezer University of Minembwe National University of Zaire University of Kalemie University Shalom of Bunia Protestant University in Congo Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature

Universities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo