University of Lovanium

The University of Lovanium was a Catholic Jesuit university in Leopoldville/Leopoldstad (now Kinshasa) in Belgian Congo.

History

The university was established in 1954 at Kimwenza.^[1] Lovanium was founded by the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, and was named after it (Lovanium being Latin for Leuven).

In August 1971, the university was merged with the Protestant Autonomous University of Congo (Université Libre du Congo) and the University of Congo at Lubumbashi (founded in 1956) into the 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

• Valentin Y. Mudimbe
• Clémentine Nzuji
• Étienne Tshisekedi

References

1. Muketa, Jacques Fumunzanza (2008). Kinshasa. Editions L'Harmattan. p. 215. ISBN 2-296-07658-0.

• University of Lovanium
• History of Higher Education