The University of Oxford
As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford is a unique and historic institution. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. In 1188, the historian Gerald of Wales, gave a public reading to the assembled Oxford dons and in 1190 the arrival of Emo of Friesland, the first known overseas student, set in motion the University’s tradition of international scholarly links.
Universiteit Leiden
Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was founded in February 1575, as a gift from William of Orange to the citizens of Leiden after they had withstood a long siege by the Spanish. It was the first university in the Netherlands to practise freedom of belief and religion, as reflected in the university’s motto, praesidium libertatis, Bastion of Liberty. It was this atmosphere of freedom of speech that provided the right environment for philosophers such as Spinoza and Descartes to develop their ideas.
Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
The name Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne is derived from the Collège de Sorbonne, founded in 1257 by Robert de Sorbon as one of the first significant colleges of the medieval University of Paris. The university as such predates the college by about a century, and minor colleges had been founded already in the late 12th century. The Collège de Sorbonne was suppressed during the French revolution, reopened by Napoleon in 1808 and finally closed in 1882. This was only one of the many colleges of the University of Paris that existed until the French revolution.
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies is one of the world’s leading centres of teaching and research which focuses on international relations and development issues. The Institute has a long/standing reputation of excellence and shares strong ties with the international and non-governmental organisations in Geneva as well as being home to a diverse and vibrant group of students and faculty from all over the world.
Univerzita Karlova, Prague
A Czech and Roman king Charles IV founded the Prague university by a deed of foundation on April 7, 1348 as a first university (studium generale) to the north of the Alps and to the east of Paris. The Charles University belongs to old European universities. It followed the example of the Bolognese and the Parisian universities and in a short time became internationally famous.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) is a public research university located in Madrid, and one of the oldest universities in the world (founded in 1499 by Cardenal Cisneros, as Universitas Complutensis). It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of Pozuelo de Alarcón.
Helsingin Yliopisto
As the University of Helsinki was founded in 1640 by Queen Christina of Sweden (1626–1689) in Turku, as the Royal Academy of Turku, the senior part of the school formed the core of the new university, while the junior year courses formed a grammar school. It was the third university founded in the Swedish Empire, following Uppsala University and the Academia Gustaviana in Dorpat (predecessor to the University of Tartu in Estonia).
Uniwersytet Jagiellonski
Founded in 1364 by Casimir the Great, the Jagiellonian is oldest university in Poland and the second oldest in Central Europe. It continuously ranks among the top universities in Emerging Europe and Central Asia, and has been home to many notable figures including Copernicus. The original manuscript of his De Revolutionibus is still kept in the Jagiellonian library. The university is divided into 15 faculties and is academic home to over 50,000 students, more than half of which are women.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) is a modern public university, established in 1990 and located in three neighbouring campuses in the city centre of Barcelona. UPF was founded to develop a new university model in Catalonia and Spain, noted for quality teaching, proximity to the students, a high level of internationalisation and emphasis on research and innovation. All its indicators have made it a benchmark for the Spanish university system.
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
The University was founded in 1472 in Ingolstadt, and has moved cities twice since then. Today, LMU Munich has matured into one of the world’s leading international universities. The university in Ingolstadt began with four faculties: the Faculty of Arts, the completion of which qualified a student for the other three faculties: medicine, jurisprudence, or theology.
University of St Andrews
Founded around 1413 by a group of Augustinian clergy, St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is also ranked the top university in Scotland, and third behind Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, in recent leading league tables. A member of the association of leading European universities since June 2017, it is the newest partner within the Europaeum, signaling St Andrew’s commitment to remaining a highly connected global university.
Associate Member: Institute of Political Studies, Catholic University of Portugal
Since its foundation in 1996-97, the Institute of Political Studies at the Catholic University of Portugal has gathered together more of the best Portuguese senior scholars and professionals in Political Science and International Relations, Security and Defence. Its MA and PhD Programmes have aimed at fostering an international atmosphere where longing for knowledge and the excitement of ideas are open to all – provided one is prepared to work hard and engage in the critical examination of different lines of argument, tested by experience.