A Concise History of the University

This concise and vivid account of the history of the university centres on three comprehensive academic models that dominated certain eras and exerted significant influence as templates for the rest of the world: the Latin university, the German university, and the American university.

The university has a grand and extensive past. On ceremonial occasions it is often said to be one of the social institutions with the longest unbroken tradition. Over the centuries the university has been a centre of learning, science, and higher education, but it has also been able to adapt itself to new circumstances and expectations. With its origins in mediaeval Europe it has spread to other parts of the world, and today it forms an obvious foundation for all advanced knowledge societies. This volume explores the main lines of development in the history of the university, focusing on it as an institution rather than on intellectual achievements or individual scholars.

This volume is aimed at scholars and students with an interest in the history of science, knowledge and universities, as well as university staff interested in a better understanding of the institution in which they work and the forces that have shaped it.