Europe: The European Medieval Universities, from the Past and Today

Abstract

As a historian of the Middle Ages, I am frequently asked about the links between universities then and now. Given the momentous changes affecting modern-day institutions of higher education and the lives of so many people—students, parents, teachers, and employers—such questions have become more frequent and more urgent. Given a great deal is different between the medieval universities and our own diverse global array of institutions, this makes comparisons difficult. None the less, an assessment of the role of medieval universities reveals some telling affinities that may hold lessons for today’s turbulent times.