Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/439

This page needs to be proofread.

LOUTAIH 3t

atituteot a^culture (L'Institut aup^rieur d'agrono- tiiie),aawcllaM the cuiiuiiurcial, consular, and cotuiiiul ■ehool (L'Ecole commerciale, consulaire et colomale), OTeparea students for careers in these several lines. The historical and linguistic lectures Imvo grown Bteadily in importance, thnoks to professors such as Jungmann, MocUer, Collard, and Cauchie. The latter IB ptiblishing, with the preaent rector, P. Ladeuze, the


well-known " Revue d'Histoire Eccl^siastique ". Par- ticular mention must be made of abmnch of teaching which is not or^niial in a. distinct school, but which hiu here an important development; it is that of the Oriental languages (Hebrew^ byriac, Arabic. Coptic), distributed in various faculties, and for which there is a special diploma.

The various schools and institutes, provided with libraries, apparatus, etc., familiarize the student with methods of study under the immediate supervision of masters. They are also centres of scientific produo- tim: we have alreadv mentioned the importance of the bibliography of the university (Blbliagraphie des travaux univetsitaires), the catalogue of which has been published. These publications include a series of periodicals which carry abroad the work of Louvaill ana bring back in exchange the productions of the out- Bde worid. There are about tnirty of these periodi- cals published by the professors of Louvain, and more than one thousand are received in exchange from other sources. Among these reviews may be men- taoned : " Iji Revue Ndo-Scolastiquc " and " La Revue d'Histoire EccWsiastique", whicli have already been noticed; "La Revue Sociale C'atholigue" and "La Revue Catholique de Droit" (all four from the philo- aophical institute); "La Revue Miklicale" (double); "La Cellule" (review of biology, founded by Camoy) ; "La Nfvrose (review of neurology, founded bv Van Gehuchten); the "Bulletins" of tlie schools of engi- neering, commerce, agriculture, and electricity . "Le Husfe Beige" (pedagogy'); "I-a MusCon" (philology and Oriental sciences) ; " Revue des Socifit^s ( 'omraer- oiales", etc. To the above might be added collec- tions that do not appear regularly, but which form im< portant series, such as the historical and philological conferences; and the publications of the school of polit- ical sciences; the collection of the ancient pluloso- ^rs of Belgium (M. de Wulf), and that of the old English dramas (Bang). Frequently, too, the pro- [cMors bring out their students' work in foreign maga- ■ines not under their direction, and in the bulletins of various academies. The list of these is to lie found in the university bibliography. An idea may thus be fanned of the activity of men like Louis Henry (chem- iMry) and J. Denys (bacteriology), who prefer this mode of publication.

Besides these lines of work, there are others in which professors an(! students do not work absolutely side by ^^A?.-0/^/:*/n vhich the leacher'srAle censes t«l>e that


K LOUVAIN

of Immediate instruction, and becomes one of assist- ance and su|>ervisioii. TItc conferences on history and social economy are really courses of teaching, where the students work under the constant supervi- sion of the professor with an increasing amount o( in- dividuality. The "circle" in apologetics created by the present rector comprises expositions by profes- sors, at times by studentt— along with questions and solutions of the difSculties presented by the study of reli^ous subjects. Elsewhere the student does his work independently, and submits his results for dis- cussion by his comrades. The role of the preying professor becomes a very uneven one and is, at times, purely exlernal. It then becomes rather a matter of exercises tetween students, verv useful and very com- mendable, but of quite another kind. There are quite a numljer of clubs in the various faculties, where the professor plays a very active part as inspirer, guide. adviser. Among the other ones which have rendered ^eat services are; " Le cercle industriel " " L'f mula- tion'V'Lecercled'^tudea sociales", the Flemish soci- ety "Tyd en Vlyt", and, more rccently,"La soci^t^ pniloeopbique ", "Le cercle agronomique", and vari- ous literary and social clubs.

Since Belgium gained its independence, Louvain has almost always been represented in Parliament and very often in the Cabinet Councils. Professor Delcour and Professor Thonissen were ministers of the Interior on which depended the department of Education; and to-day Professor Baron Descamps is minister of science; several had other portfolios: not- ably Nyssens, who in 1897 established the depart- ment of labour. But Louvain docs not seek merely to turn out professional men and scientists; it aims at making men and Christians of its students ; that is one of its fundamental characteristics. The influence over the spirit and mode of living of its young men is far-reaching. Itisexerted through the teaching itself, without departing from scientific accuracy, but on the contrary proving by it the harmony between science and faith. It is extended by the action of different groups and by personal initiative. Furthermore, there are many societies of a distinctly moral and re- ligious nature ap- pealing to the life and cliaraeter of youth: reUgious reunions, organ i - aationsforinst^uo- tion, apostleship, pious and chari- table enterprises, such as the Lucha- ristic adoration, Catholic missions, the Christian Press, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, school for adult working- men. Nor is phys- ical development overlooked, " '


the



equipments

the various sports.

The university has a strong bond of unity; its moral

force is incontest ably the most powerful element of ita

vitality. The rebti<ms between professorsandstudents


MaltT. The Alumni associations are one of the out- ward signs; the permanence of personal relations is

To complete t£is sketch of Louvain something must be said about the student life. Owing to the fimit«d territory of the countiy to the many easy and inex-