List of oldest universities in continuous operation
The list of the oldest universities leads all university foundations to 1800 in Europe and the overseas European colonies, regardless of whether the university was later resolved. As a founding date is the year in which the University of privilege was granted. Predecessor institutions and subsequent start-ups are noted.
In the Middle Ages and the early modern period in addition to the financial resources of the city and / or a prince for the establishment of a university both a papal bull and a university privilege of the sovereign was necessary, in the Holy Roman Empire of the Emperor. An exception to the earliest European universities until the early 13th century, since they are often more concerned in modern terms to individual faculties, which slowly developed into universities without an accurate foundation year would set.
The University of Naples, in the 13th century Europe 's first university, which taught without papal bull. Again until the 16th century, more Lutheran universities were founded without papal bull. In addition, many were Calvinist higher education to the universities which, while offering quasi- university education, but did not have the Imperial University of privilege and therefore could not grant academic degrees page. These institutions are not included in the list.
Non-European, non- colonial colleges were characterized traditionally by a strong focus on religious and philosophical teaching content. Not least because they should not be addressed as a university history, which was an educational institution a genuine creation of the European Middle Ages. Only since the late 19th century, the modern European university concept was acquired outside the European cultural circle. Among the universities with the longest history outside of Europe include the University of Fes, the Al -Azhar University in Cairo, Al- Mustansiriyya University in Baghdad, Sankore Madrasah in Timbuktu, the Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul and the University of Istanbul.