Description of the attraction
St Andrew's University (St Andrews University) is the oldest university in Scotland and one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1410.
Scottish students at that time were forced to study abroad, mainly in Paris. Studying at Oxford and Cambridge was not available because it was the era of the Scottish Wars of Independence. In May 1410, a group of teachers, mostly educated in Paris, founded a high school in the city of St Andrews. St Andrews was at that time the religious capital of Scotland, the seat of the Scottish bishop, and secular institutions of higher education did not yet exist at that time.
Already in February 1411, the charter of the Bishop of St. Andrews confirms the rights and freedoms of the university, but the status of the university and its right to award academic degrees had to be confirmed either by the Pope or by the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire - i.e. head of the Christian world. In 1413, Pope Benedict XIII publishes a bull establishing the University of St Andrews.
The university is growing rapidly and by the middle of the 16th century consists of three colleges: St. Salvator, St. Leonard and Virgin Mary. Since that time, the oldest buildings of the university have survived: the chapel of St. Salvator, the chapel of the college of St. Leonard and the courtyard of the college of the Virgin Mary. However, in the 17th century, the university fell into decay. The number of students is reduced to 100, and even those mostly do not graduate from the university, but only attend it for a couple of semesters. Even proposals to close the university were considered.
The situation changes for the better only in the 20th century. The university receives sufficient funding, the curriculum is expanded and modernized, a great deal of attention is paid to basic scientific research, and in Scotland - and in Britain in general - it is once again becoming prestigious to send children to study at the oldest educational institution. Suffice it to say that it was this university that Prince William and his wife Catherine graduated from.
Now St. Andrews University is firmly in the first lines of the world rankings of higher education institutions.
