Global Universities Directory

The University of Cambridge is a collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's third-oldest university in continuous operation. The university's founding followed the arrival of scholars who left the University of Oxford for Cambridge after a dispute with local townspeople. The two ancient English universities, although sometimes described as rivals, share many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge.

The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s second-oldest university in continuous operation. It grew rapidly from 1167, when Henry II prohibited English students from attending the University of Paris. After escalating conflict between students and the Oxford townspeople, some Oxford academics fled northeast to Cambridge, where they established the University of Cambridge in 1209. The two universities share many common features and are jointly referred to as Oxbridge.

The University of Amsterdam is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Established in 1632 by municipal authorities, it is the fourth-oldest academic institution in the Netherlands still in operation.

Sorbonne University is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to the Middle Ages in 1257 when the College of Sorbonne was established by Robert de Sorbon as a constituent college of the University of Paris, one of the first universities in Europe. Its current iteration was formed in 2018 by the merger of Paris-Sorbonne University and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie.

The University of Vienna is a public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and with around 85,000 students and approximately 11,000 employees, one of the largest institutions of higher learning in Europe. As of 2024/2025, the programme comprised 185 degree programmes.

The University of Lisbon is a public research university in Lisbon, and Portugal’s largest university. After its initial foundation as a studium generale in 1290 moved to Coimbra in the 16th century, its first modern iteration was founded in 1911. The university’s present structure dates to the 2013 merger of the former University of Lisbon (1911–2013) and the Technical University of Lisbon (1930–2013).