Charles University, also known as Charles University in Prague or historically as the University of Prague, is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic, the second university established in the Holy Roman Empire after Bologna. It is one of the oldest universities in the world in continuous operation, the first university north of the Alps and east of Paris. Today, the university consists of 17 faculties located in Prague, Hradec Králové, and Plzeň. Charles University is in the top three universities in Central and Eastern Europe. The institution has been ranked 200–300 in the world as one of the best universities.
Monument to the protector of the university, Emperor Charles IV, in Prague (built in 1848)
Teacher and students shown in a medieval manuscript from Bohemia
Karolinum – the oldest building of Charles University built in the 14th century
Baroque library hall in Clementinum, which originally belonged to the university, today part of National Library of the Czech Republic
A university is an institution of higher education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. University is derived from the Latin phrase universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Alma Mater by Daniel Chester French, Columbia University. The alma mater, meaning "nourishing mother" in Latin, is one of the most enduring symbols of the university. The phrase was first used to describe the University of Bologna, Italy, founded in 1088.
The National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, was established in 1551, making it the oldest university in the Americas, as well as one of the oldest in the Western World in continuous operation.
The Moroccan higher-learning institution Al-Qarawiyin, founded in 859 A.D., was transformed into a university under the supervision of the Ministry of Education in 1963.
Established in 1224 by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, the University of Naples Federico II in Italy is the world's oldest state-funded university in continuous operation.