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Ancient university is a term used to describe the medieval and renaissance universities of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland that have continued to exist. Because no universities were founded in these countries between the 17th and 19th centuries, an ancient university effectively means one that was founded before the 17th century.
The ancient universities in the British Isles are, in order of formation:
- University of Oxford – founded before 1167
- University of Cambridge – founded 1209
- University of St Andrews – founded 1413
- University of Glasgow – founded 1451
- University of Aberdeen – founded 1495
- University of Edinburgh – founded 1583
- University of Dublin – founded 1592 (the only ancient university situated outside of the present United Kingdom)
"Oxbridge" is a portmanteau name for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest in England (see Oxbridge rivalry).
The ancient universities of Scotland share several distintictive features and are governed by arrangements laid down by the Universities (Scotland) Acts.
Since Aberdeen is made up of King's College of 1495 and Marischal College of 1593 (which two did not merge until 1860), the institution's prospectus light-heartedly claims that for some time Aberdeen boasted "as many universities as England."
No more universities were created in the United Kingdom until the University of Wales, Lampeter in 1822 (students were admitted in 1827), University College London in 1826, King's College London in 1829 (both granted formal university status as part of the University of London in 1836), and the University of Durham in 1832. The Red Brick universities of the 19th century followed.
Elsewhere in the world
Several of the medieval universities of Continental Europe are the oldest in the world; older than any of the institutions listed above. The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 (the oldest university in the world), the University of Paris was founded somewhere around 1150 and the University of Palencia (Spain) was founded in 1212.
The University of Constantinople was founded in the 9th century as a secular institute of higher learning, but its operation was discontinued after the Ottoman conquest.
If the definition of a university is broadened to those that did not originally grant degrees but now do, then some ancient institutes predate even the University of Bologna (for example, Nalanda University had been established by the 5th century BC in India, Nanjing University was founded in 258 in China, and Al-Azhar University was founded in 988 in Egypt).
See also
"Ancient university"