2 euro coin 2017 Belgium – 200 years Ghent University

Description

Ghent University (Dutch: Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands. After the Belgian revolution of 1830, the newly formed Belgian state began to administer the university. In 1930, it became the first Dutch-speaking university in Belgium, whereas French had previously been the standard academic language. In 1991, the university was granted major autonomy and changed its name accordingly from State University of Ghent (Dutch: Rijksuniversiteit Gent, abbreviated as RUG) to its current designation. The University supports the University Library and the University Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals in Belgium.

UGent is one of the largest Flemish universities, consisting of 41,000 students and 9,000 staff members. In contrast to the Catholic University of Leuven or the Free University of Brussels, it considers itself a pluralist university in a special sense, i.e. not connected to any particular religion or ideology. For this reason, its motto Inter Utrumque (‘In Between Both Extremes’) means the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom can only happen in a country in peace and when the institution is fully supported by the government.

Ghent University consistently rates among the top universities not only in Belgium but also throughout the world.