Talk:List of oldest universities in continuous operation

The University of Copenhagen should be moved down on the list

The list puts the university of Copenhagen as beeing founded in 1475 and is therefore placed before Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, and Uppsala university on the list. It was founded in 1479 and should therefore be moved down two steps. The year in which the university got papal premission to open is not the same year as it did, in the same way as a building not beeing constructed at the same moment premission to build it is awarded. They even list their founding date themselves to 1479 ().

Would it be okay if I moved the university of Copenhagen down two steps?

Pfffffr (talk) 09:46, 12 October 2025 (UTC)

Just did it! Pfffffr (talk) 13:55, 11 November 2025 (UTC)

Following Verger and other sources, the date of foundation is normally taken to be when a university received its charter, Papal bull, etc., so I've reverted this change. Robminchin (talk) 16:15, 11 November 2025 (UTC)

References

State-funded universities in Italy

All the Italian universities listed in the page are not only "state-funded", but entirely public institutions, all of them, not just Federico II of Napoli. Easy to verify from the website of the Italian Ministry of Education: https://www.mur.gov.it/it/aree-tematiche/universita/le-universita/universita-statali So, the oldest "state-funded" (or better state-owned) uni in Italy is Bologna ~2025-31478-63 (talk) 10:59, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

Bologna ws not state funded or owned at its origin, which is the point being made. Jonathan A Jones (talk) 11:10, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

Update Title

As per Guinness Book Of World Records (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-university) the oldest University is University of Karueein,in Morocco. Thus, the title of this page should be updated to "List of oldest European universities in continuous operation" — Preceding unsigned comment added by Chem1 (talk • contribs) 06:51, 28 November 2025 (UTC)

This has been discussed at length in the archives of this Talk page. In short, the University of Karueein was not founded as a university and only became what we now call a university in the 20th century. ElKevbo (talk) 13:39, 28 November 2025 (UTC)

Also, that's not what Guiness World Records says – the record is actually for "The oldest existing and continually operating educational institution", not the oldest university. There is also doubt over wherever Guinness World Records is a reliable source (see WP:GUINNESS) – teaching at al-Qarawiyyin is only relliably documented from the 12th century (see the sources cited in this article and in the al-Qarawiyyin article), which is after teaching outside of the cathedral schools began at Bologna. Robminchin (talk) 02:01, 29 November 2025 (UTC)

Soŋgyoongwan

Although I understand the rules of this article have been decided that higher learning education institutions only originating via the routes of the three universities in Europe can be officially added, I would like to make a claim this is an unfair rule since there exist ample evidence that government-regulated higher education establishments concurrently developed around the mediaeval world. I would like to use the Korean Soŋgyoongwan as an example. Although Soŋgyoon existed as government-run institutions serving the purpose vis-à-vis development of government officials, the most famous (Soŋgyoongwan) were included in the city development plans of Seoul when the Joson Dynasty were building the new capital and construction officially began in 1395 across three years whence 大聖殿·東廡·西廡·文廟·明倫堂·東齋·西齋·正錄所·養賢庫 and cafeteria were completed; 文廟碑文 inscriptions from 1410 assert the buildings together were circa 935.68m² in area. 尊經閣 were the institution library, 養賢庫 managed finances and funding of students, and 正錄廳 supervised the entrance exams as well as recruitment and management of faculty staff. 東齋 and 西齋 were dormitories for students and a student village 泮村 were later established as student quota were gradually increased. The original quota were exactly 100 but this were increased to 150, and then again to 200 in 1429. Originally, 生員試 were the only entrance exam that tested one's understanding of Confucian scriptures but 進士試 were later concurrently conducted in 1435 that tested one's literary composition and it were custom to accept 100 students each. Students had to sign the 到記 in the cafeteria every breakfast and supper and together they were counted as one 圓點, or points, and 300 points were required to take 館試 that recruited government officials. Students also composed literary works thrice a month that were graded and whereupon provided individual guidance by tutors who suspended their lectures for a day. It's specified in 都評議使司 from 1392 that Soŋgyoongwan sought to train the next generation of tutors, statesmen, wordsmiths, men of law, mathematicians, generals, military logisticians, astronomers, cartographers, fortune-tellers and medical practitioners. Although Soŋgyoongwan were royally administered, students customarily practiced civil disobedience wherein the most popular were 捲堂: students would refuse in conjunction to enter the cafeteria, voluntarily losing critical attendance points necessary to take the civil service exams, throwing the administration in jeopardy of paralysis. source Ergo, students were able to exercise autonomy with these instruments of checks and balances in place and Soŋgyoongwan benefited from rigorous organisation that I believe it deserves to be defined as a university. Thus, as the institution never failed to exist since its completion in 1398, it deserves to be on this list. Alterran (talk) 16:05, 30 November 2025 (UTC)

It is included on the list as the oldest university in South Korea from the date of its reformation as a university in 1895, noting the original institutional foundation in 1398, although there are a lack of citations for this. From the university's own history pages, it appears to have been shut at various times, including 1910–1945 and to only have been in continuous operation since 1946.Robminchin (talk) 20:45, 30 November 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for your reply! Joson Dynasty have the benefit all their court records have been perfectly preserved, thus it's easy to find contemporary evidence. It's recorded in the third charter of 1410 September 29 [1] that construction began in 1397 March and completed in 1398 July. The university were continuously operational as Soŋgyoongwan till the 44th year of Meiji (1911) [2] when the Governor-General of Chōsen changed its name to 經學院 Gyonghakwon. I believe the assertion in the university website is closer to a political statement with the intention to distance themselves from a controversial era. It's stated the purpose of Gyonghakwon were for 'conversion to civilisation' so it's understandable accountability for such Social Darwinism may be a difficult conscious decision. 明倫學院 Myoŋnyoon-hakwon that taught Confucianism were later established within Gyonghakwon in 1930 [3] after much dissent and whereupon renamed to 明倫專門學院 Myoŋnyoon-jonmoon-hakwon in 1939 [4] then to 明倫專門學校 Myoŋnyoon-jonmoon-hakgyo in 1942 and 明倫鍊成所 Myoŋnyoon-yonsonso in 1944 whence they began to teach science subjects. It were renamed to Myoŋnyoon-jonmoon-hakgyo after the end of the Pacific War in 1945 and reestablished itself as Soŋgyoongwan in 1946 and hasn't changed its name since. Would this be ample evidence to permit the inclusion of Soŋgyoongwan in the above [Founded as universities before 1500]? Alterran (talk) 04:32, 1 December 2025 (UTC)

I shall feel liberty to do so if no further objections arise till next year Alterran (talk) 04:40, 2 December 2025 (UTC)

These records establish its place in the list of Ancient higher-learning institutions and you will find it already listed there. But none of this alters the fact that, while it existed and was an institution of higher learning, it was not a university until 1895, and has only been continuous since 1946. So no, you can't include it as a pre 1500 university. Jonathan A Jones (talk) 10:08, 2 December 2025 (UTC)