Medieval university (Asia)

Medieval universities did not exist in Asia in the strict sense of the phrase. However, there were important centres of learning that can be compared to the universities of Europe. It must be noted that unlike the European universities, non-western institutions of higher learning were not autonomous corporations of scholars and were never known to issue degrees to their graduates and therefore do not meet what many hold to be the technical definition of university. This does not, however, bar their importance to the history of non-western cultures.

; India

* Nalanda was a centre of learning established by the 5th century BC in Bihar, India. The 2nd-century Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna was based there.

; China

* Nanjing University and Southeast University were founded in 258 AD.
* There were several other universities, called Guozijian, in ancient China.

; Korea
* Taehak was founded in 372. and Gukhak was established in 682
* The Sungkyunkwan University was founded by the Joseon Dynasty in 1398 as the successor to Gukjagam from the Goryeo Dynasty (AD 992). It was reopened as a private university in 1946.

; Iran
* Academy of Gundishapur was an important medical centre of the 6th and 7th centuries AD.

; Vietnam
* The Quoc Tu Giam (國子監, literally "National University") functioned for more than 700 years, from 1076 to 1779.

ee also

*Medieval university, western European autonomous centers of education.
*Byzantine university, Byzantine private and state-funded education.
*Ancient university
*List of oldest universities in continuous operation