Attempting to prevent university education from being fragmented, the new government closed Leuven's faculties of law and natural science but backed down due to protests.
[citation needed] A proposal to concentrate university education at Leuven was rejected by parliament on 4 August 1835.
This provoked serious riots in the cities of Ghent, Leuven and Liège by liberals, who feared the Church encroaching on state education.
The State University of Leuven counted upon the creation the Faculties of Law, Medicine, Science and Mathematics and of the Natural Philosophy and Letters.
A professor was named to be the rector magnificus every year.