Universities

Though some higher education institutions like the Nalanda University or University of Constantinople claim to be the oldest universities, the first universities in the modern sense (academic degree-granting higher education institutions) in western religious world were the University of Al-Karaouine (established in 859)[2Al-Azhar University (established in 975). A different case is the University of Constantinople, which was founded in the 9th century as a secular institute of higher learning, to support the state administration. In China and the eastern world, there were many higher institutes of learning in the medieval era, the tradition of which traces back to ancient times, like the school Shang Hsiang.
The first degree-granting university in medieval Europe was the University of Bologna (established in 1088). The first universities in Europe were influenced in many ways by the Madrasahs in Islamic Spain and the Emirate of Sicily at the time, and in the Middle East during the Crusades. Medieval European universities were also influenced by a Gothic ethos: to build communities like communes (cities) themselves or guilds. With the increasing professionalisation of society during the 12th and 13th centuries, a similar demand grew for professional clergy.
Before the 12th century, the intellectual life of Europe had been relegated to monasteries, which were mostly concerned with the study of the liturgy and prayer; very few monasteries could boast true intellectuals. Following the Gregorian Reform's emphasis on canon law and the study of the sacraments, bishops formed cathedral schools to train the clergy in Canon law, but also in the more secular aspects of religious administration, including logic and disputation for use in preaching and theological discussion, and accounting to more effectively control finances. Learning became essential to advancing in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and teachers also gained prestige.
However, demand quickly outstripped the capacity of cathedral schools, each of which was essentially run by one teacher. In addition, tensions rose between the students of cathedral schools and burghers in smaller towns. As a result cathedral schools migrated to large cities, like Paris and Bologna.