List of oldest universities in continuous operation
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This is a list of the oldest extant universities in the world. To be listed on this page, an educational institution must satisfy the definition of a university at the time of founding; it must have been founded before 1500; and it must have been operational without a significant interruption ever since.
Because the awarding of academic degrees for advanced studies was historically most prevalent in Europe, and the modern definition of a university includes the ability to grant degrees, most of the oldest institutions of higher learning that have always satisfied the modern definition were European. If, however, the definition were broadened to include ancient institutions that did not originally grant degrees but now do, then this list would expand significantly to include many other institutions both outside and inside Europe.
Finally, even within the purview of European universities, there is still some minor, albeit good-natured controversy over who was really "first" on the continent. The University of Bologna, while it predates the University of Paris, was a university organized by students who then sought out tutors while the latter institution was organized by faculty who then solicited students. Some (especially at Paris) still quibble over which began as a "genuine" university, but it is generally accepted that the University of Bologna came before the University of Paris.
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[edit] Founded before 1500
1 - Highly controversial/disputed: Regarding the definition of university, which includes the ability to grant degrees in a wide range of fields, the categorization of many of the oldest learning institutions as de facto ancient universities in continuous operation could be controversial and problematic. For example, if the definition were broadened to include ancient institutions that did not originally grant degrees, were strictly religious schools for centuries or vanished without trace for long periods of time, then such categorization can be used to please specific points of view which are not widely accepted.
[edit] Post-1500, oldest universities by country or region
The majority of European countries had universities by 1500. After 1500, universities began to spread to other countries all over the world:
- Algeria: University of Algiers, 1909
- Americas: Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1538
- Argentina: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1613
- Armenia: Yerevan State University , 1919
- Asia: disputed by two Philippine universities founded in 1595 and 1611 respectively. (See below)
- Australia: University of Sydney, 1850
- Azerbaijan: Baku State University, 1919
- Baltic States: Vilnius University, 1579, twice closed and reopened
- Bangladesh: University of Dhaka, 1921
- Belarus: Belarusian State University, 1921
- Bolivia: Royal and Pontificial Major University of St. Francis Xavier of Chuquisaca, 1624
- Bosnia-Herzegovina: University of Sarajevo, 1940, successor to the Islamic Law School founded in 1531
- Brazil: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 1808 .
- Bulgaria: University of Sofia, 1888
- Canada: Université Laval, 1663; University of New Brunswick is the oldest English language university in Canada, founded in 1785
- Chile: Universidad de Chile, 1622, 19 August, as Santo Tomás de Aquino
- China:
- Nanking University, the first school officially called university in English in China, 1888. Also the first to offer doctoral education in China, 1913.
- Beiyang University, 1896.
- St. John's University, Shanghai, the first school granting bachelor's degree in China, 1907.
- University of Hong Kong, 1910, evolved from the Hong Kong College of Medicine, founded in 1887
- Colombia: Saint Thomas Aquinas University, 1580
- Croatia: University of Zagreb, 1669
- Cuba: Universidad de La Habana, 1728
- Dominican Republic: Santo Tomas de Aquino University, Santo Domingo, was founded in 1538 and definitively extinguished in 1824, having no relationships with the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (founded in 1914, this one expects to be a “primatial university of America”)
- Egypt:Cairo University, 1908, public university
- Estonia: University of Tartu, 1802, successor to Academia Gustaviana (1632-1710)
- Finland: University of Helsinki, 1640, originally the Academy of Turku, but moved to Helsinki in 1827
- Georgia: Tbilisi State University, 1918
- Greece: University of Athens, 1837
- Guatemala: Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, 1676
- Hungary: Eötvös Loránd University, 1635
- India:
- Serampore College, 1818, first institution with university status (although not a university) to grant degrees in theology
- Thomason College of Civil Engineering, (Formerly University of Roorkee), 1847, the oldest autonomous engineering school in Asia, initially not a university
- University of Calcutta, 1857, first full fledged multi disciplinary university in South Asia, with a catchment area from Lahore to Rangoon
- Indonesia: Institut Teknologi Bandung, 1920, founded as the Technische Hogeschool et Bandoeng
- Iran: University of Tehran, 1934
- Iraq: University of Baghdad, 1956 - Although the Iraqi Royal College of Medicine was established in 1928.
- Israel: Technion, 1924
- Japan: University of Tokyo, 1877
- Korea: Korea University, 1905
- Lebanon: American University of Beirut, 1866
- Lithuania: University of Vilnius, 1579, successory to the Vilnius Academy 1570, although its operation was not continuous: the university was closed from 1832 to 1919 and again in 1943-44
- Malaysia: University of Malaya, 1905
- Malta: University of Malta, 1769, successory to Collegium Melitense 1592
- Mexico: National Autonomous University of Mexico, 1551 (or 1910 [3])
- Myanmar: Rangoon University,1878
- Netherlands: University of Leiden, 1575
- New Zealand: University of Otago, 1869
- North America: National Autonomous University of Mexico, 1551 (or 1910[4])
- Northern Ireland: Queen's University Belfast, 1810 (Royal Charter 1845)
- Norway: University of Oslo, 1811
- Pakistan: University of the Punjab, 1882
- Peru: National University of San Marcos, Lima, 1551, "dean university of America” (the oldest, but not necessarily the first), since it is the only university on the American continent that survives, uninterruptedly, since the XVIth century
- Philippines: Disputed by two universities:
- University of San Carlos, established as the Colegio de San Ildefonso 1595 by the Jesuits, closed in 1769, reopened in 1783 by the local bishop, transferred ownership to the Dominicans (1852), then to the Vincentians (1867), and finally to the Society of the Divine Word fathers on 1935. Closed on 1941 during World War II; opened again on 1945. Received university charter in 1948.
- University of Santo Tomas, established as the Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario on 1611, received university charter in 1645, closed during World War II, reopened during post-war rebuilding. Owned by the Dominicans in its entirety of existence.
- Puerto Rico: University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras 1903
- Republic of Ireland: Trinity College, Dublin, 1592
- Romania: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, 1860
- Russia: either Moscow State University, 1755 or Saint Petersburg State University (1724-1803, 1819) or Kant Russian State University (1544-1945, 1967)
- Serbia: Belgrade University, 1905, successor to the Great School, 1808; Orthodox Christian Academy in 1794; Teacher's college in 1778
- Singapore: National University of Singapore, 1905
- Slovenia: University of Ljubljana, 1919
- South America: National University of San Marcos, Peru, 1551
- South Africa: University of Cape Town, 1829
- Sweden: Uppsala University, 1595, successor to Catholic University of Uppsala (1477-1515)
- Thailand: Chulalongkorn University, 1917
- Turkey: Istanbul Technical University (1773)
- Ukraine: University of Lviv, 1661
- U.S.: see First university in the United States
- Venezuela: Central University of Venezuela, 1721
- Wales: University of Wales, Lampeter, 1822
[edit] Caveat
The actual date a university started to function is often rather hazy and differs a good deal from legend, or from the date its ancestor-institution was founded. For example, it is generally admitted today that Oxford's foundation cannot be precisely dated, but must lie somewhere in the mid-to-late 12th century. However, the notion that a college could be empowered to give the bachelor's degree is a modern American one; by European terms, Harvard College had already adopted the powers (if not the style) of a university in 1642. The University of Pennsylvania was simply the first American institution to call itself a university; but neither it, Harvard, or any of the seven other Colonial American colleges were nearly as large or diverse as European universities of the time. The first American university to create a modern graduate school and award a Ph.D. degree was Yale University, in 1861.
[edit] See also
- Ancient university
- Medieval university
- Medieval university (Asia)
- Third oldest university in England debate
[edit] References and notes
- ^ The Guinness Book Of Records, Published 1998, ISBN 0-5535-7895-2, P.242
- ^ Grenler, Paul F. The Universities of the Italian Renaissance. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004. Pages 43-44.
- ^ See: Ridder-Symoens, Hilde de. A History of the University in Europe. Cambridge University Press, 2003. Page 83.
- ^ Quoted from: Chadwick, Owen. The Early Reformation on the Continent. Oxford University Press, 2003. Page 257.
de:Liste der ältesten Universitäten es:Lista de las universidades más antiguas existentes en la actualidad it:Lista delle più antiche università ka:მსოფლიოს უძველესი უნივერსიტეტები pt:Lista de universidades mais antigas do mundo
