List of oldest universities in continuous operation
The word "university" is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which approximately means "community of teachers and scholars."
These developed associated madrasas; the dates when organised teaching began are uncertain, but by 1129 for al-Qarawiyyin[13] in the 13th century for Ez-Zitouna,[14] and Al-Azhar.
[citation needed] The university as an institution was historically rooted in medieval society, which it in turn influenced and shaped.
As a community of teachers and taught, accorded certain rights, such as administrative autonomy and the determination and realisation of curricula (courses of study) and of the objectives of research as well as the award of publicly recognised degrees, it is a creation of medieval Europe, which was the Europe of papal Christianity [...].From the early modern period onwards, the university spread from the medieval Latin West across the globe, eventually replacing all other higher-learning institutions and becoming the preeminent institution for higher education everywhere.
St Andrews was the obvious choice — "for centuries, it was the heart of the Scottish church and political activities"[50] and "the seat of the greatest bishopric in Scotland and location of a monastery noted as a centre for learning".
[51] A charter of privilege was bestowed upon the society of masters and scholars by the Bishop of St Andrews, Henry Wardlaw,[52] on 28 February 1412.
[53] Wardlaw then successfully petitioned the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII to grant the school university status by issuing a series of papal bulls, which followed on 28 August 1413.
[106] Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth(Vilnius) Its ultimate origins lie in a madrasa and institute of higher education founded by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1453; was reformed to a Western style of education with multiple faculties of sciences in 1846; gained university status in 1933.
[130][131] Incorporated and confirmed by Royal Charter in 1837 and degrees granted equal privileges with those of Oxford and Cambridge by the Attorneys and Solicitors Act 1837.
[143] (Río de la Plata) (Córdoba) (Charcas) (La Plata) (New Granada) (Santa Fe de Bogotá) (New Granada) (Santa Fe de Bogotá) (Cuba) (Havana) (Gran Colombia) (Quito) (Guatemala) (Guatemala) (Peru) (Lima) (Venezuela) (Caracas) In the United States, the colonial colleges awarded degrees from their foundation, but none were formally named as universities prior to the American Revolution, leading to various claims to be the first university in the United States.
