Have you ever wondered what the largest university in Belgium is? Right, the beautiful and unique Katholieke Universiteit which is also the oldest university in the country. Have you ever dreamed to visit the largest library in Asia? Well, since you now know that it’s located at Peking University it would be easy to surprise parents with your next educational destination. It’s exciting to know more about the top ten colleges around the world as they come in all shapes and sizes, from modern new builds to others which have no known date of when they were established. The universities say a great deal about the city or town they are in and give an insight into their history as well as their development. Also, it brings more pleasure to do homework in such a beautiful college.
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1 – Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven/Belgium
The Katholieke Universiteit is located in the very center of the town of Leuven and has been standing since 1425.
- The university accommodates over 41 thousand students, making it the largest university in Belgium.
- The university is designed in the neo-Flemish Renaissance style and follows the theme of symmetry, geometry, and proportion.
- During the Second World War, the university was victim to an attack and burnt down. The building was rebuilt using the original and beautiful designs.
- Katholieke Universiteit is one of the top 100 universities in the world
- An alumnus is Dr. P Khan – the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear program.
2 – University of Coimbra, Portugal
This university was established in 1290 and is known for being one of the few oldest colleges that have been in continuous operation since it first opened.
- Coimbra is the oldest university in Portugal
- It is on the UNESCO World Heritage list
- The university is sectioned into eight faculties and teaches a wide range of subjects and levels, including arts, engineering, mathematics, sports and more.
- The university has a majestic well stocked 18Century library and a fantastic Botanic Garden.
- An alumnus of Coimbra is Christopher Clavius – an architect of the Gregorian calendar.
3 – Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
This is the tallest educational institution in the entire world and really is breathtaking, particularly at night when the lights from the building reflect off the river.
- The university was built in 1953 and was then the 7th tallest skyscraper in the world.
- The architect was Lev Vladimirovich Rudney, a Soviet architect, and pioneer of Stalinist architecture.
- In Russia, Student’s Day is celebrated on January 25 – the day in 1755 when the formation of the MSU was decreed.
- MSU is home to a number of UNESCO courses
- Alumni of MSU include 11 Nobel Prize winners and 5 Fields Medal (math) winners as well as Anton Chekhov and Mikhail Gorbachev.
4 – University of Oxford, England, UK
Oxford University is known as a “city university” which means that colleges, departments, and campuses exist in different locations around the city. Buildings are often called architectural masterpieces.
- With education beginning in 1096, Oxford is the oldest university in the English speaking world
- Oxford University comprises 38 individual self-governing colleges
- Oxford alumni include 27 Nobel Prize winners and 26 British Prime Ministers.
- Former US President was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford
- Oxford University Press is the largest of its kind in the world
- More than 11 million volumes on 120 miles of shelving make up the biggest library system in the UK.
5 – Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
This university has a very unique style, thought up by the architects Juan O’Gorman, Gustavo Saavedra and Juan Martínez. This artistic building was founded in September 1910 and now generates publications in areas such as physics, history, and mathematics.
- The university is the oldest and largest in Latin America.
- UNAM is listed as a World Heritage Site.
- Alumni include 3 Nobel Laureates.
- Famous Mexican artists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros contributed to murals in the main buildings.
- The Chopo University Museum features two iron towers designed by Gustave Eiffel
- Club Universidad Nacional – UNAM’s football club – play in the top division of Mexican professional football (soccer)
6 – Peking University, China
Peking University is ranked as one of the top universities in the whole of China, not only for its pupils’ academic success but for its traditional Chinese architecture.
- This university was established in 1898 to replace the ancient Guozijian
- Many great Chinese thinkers were taught at the college, including Hu Shih, Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu and more. The university has its very own lake and stone bridge running across it.
- The Peking University library is the largest in Asia, housing some 4.5 million volumes
- It is built on the site of a former royal garden, north of the Forbidden City
- Students from Peking University led the revolt in Tiananmen Square in 1990
7 – Furman University, US
This liberal arts college is located in Greenville, South Carolina and is the oldest private university in the state. Set on 750 acres, the university enrolls around 2,700 students.
- The college was founded in 1826 and named after Richard Furman, a minister, and president of the Triennial Convention.
- In 1997 the school was named 5th in the most beautiful campuses.
- The first school building was completely transported from its original Greenville campus to its present site
- Because of its lavish setting and architecture, Furman College enjoys the nickname of “Country Club of the South”
- Alumni include Clint Dempsey – the USA’s most well-known soccer player.
8 – St. George’s University, Grenada
Few universities enjoy the setting of St. George’s which sits on a headland overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
- One of the world’s newest universities, it was founded in 1976 as a school of medicine.
- St. George’s was the first private medical school in the Caribbean
- Following the Marxist coup in 1979, students were temporarily educated in New York and Barbados until 1984.
- Since 2011, St. George’s doctors have gained more first-year US residency positions than any other medical school in the world.
- Students from over 140 countries enjoy the “True Blue Campus”
9 – Trinity College, Dublin
The 47-acre site of Trinity College, packed with 18thand 19th Century buildings and cobbled pathways, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Dublin.
- The university was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I
- The first women were admitted as students in 1904.
- Most of the impressive architecture is found around Parliament Square, which includes the Campanile, a 100-foot tall granite bell tower.
- The Old Library is one of its best buildings with its 215–foot Long Room and barrel-vaulted ceiling. It holds 4.5 million+ volumes including The Book of Kells.
- Alumni include Nobel Laureates in Peace, Literature, and Physics as well as many writers including Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, William Congreve and Oscar Wilde.
10 – University of Bologna, Italy
Founded in 1088, and in continuous operation, Bologna’s university is considered to be the oldest in the world and is beautifully integrated into its urban landscape.
- 85,000 students belong to 23 schools of the university
- The Palazzo dell’Archiginnasion (from 1563) with its columned walkways houses 700,000+ books and a large number of hand-painted coats of arms.
- The university’s botanical garden is recognized as one of the finest in Italy and features some Neoclassical greenhouses.
- Alumni include 3 Popes.
- Luminaries that have studied or taught at Bologna University include Dante, Albrecht Dürer, Copernicus, Marconi, and Umberto Eco.