Europe has traditionally perceived itself as a model of excellence in education, often
presenting its system as structured, advanced, and historically superior. This perception is
often traced back to ancient Greece, where public education (“παιδεία” in Ancient Greek) was
emphasized as early as the fifth century BCE. However, history tells a more complex story.
Long before Greece, Mesopotamia placed great importance on public instruction. The
"edubas" were among the first formal institutions created to train young people—mainly from
aristocratic families—in cuneiform writing, preparing them to become scribes as early as the
third millennium BCE. Similarly, ancient Egypt established schools that taught not only writing
but also mathematics and architecture. In East Asia, the Xiao, Xiang, and Xu schools
transmitted structured knowledge during the second millennium BCE, predating Greece’s
educational legacy.

Another common belief reinforcing a Eurocentric perspective is that the world’s oldest
universities originated in Europe. The University of Bologna in Italy (established in 1088) and
the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom (with teaching records dating back to 1096) are
often cited as the earliest institutions of higher learning. Meanwhile, other parts of the world
had to wait until the Spanish civilization to establish their own universities—for instance, the
University of San Marcos in Peru and the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, both
founded in 1551.

In Asia, the first university also emerged with Spanish colonization—the Pontifical and Royal
University of Santo Tomas, established in Manila in 1611. Yet this narrative overlooks earlier
institutions in the Islamic world. Both UNESCO and the Guinness World Records recognize the
University of Al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco as the world’s oldest continually operating institution
of higher learning, founded in 859 CE by a woman named Fatima al-Fihri. Additionally, Al-Azhar
University in Egypt, established in 971 CE, also predates the first European universities.
There is debate about whether these institutions fit the modern definition of a university, as
their curricula were primarily religious and focused on Islamic education. Nonetheless, they
provided advanced learning and existed centuries before Europe's oldest universities.
Beyond historical precedence, Europe’s claim to educational superiority is often supported by
the perceived prestige of its universities: Sorbonne, Bologna, Cambridge, Oxford, Salamanca,
Granada… However, global assessments challenge this notion. The most recognized university
ranking, the QS World University Rankings, evaluates institutions based on research and
discovery, learning experience, graduate employability, global engagement and sustainability.
For 16 years, no European universities have secured the top position.

What´s more, in the 2026 edition of the QS rankings, only five European universities are listed
among the top 20 globally. Keep in mind this includes institutions from the United Kingdom,
which, despite its historical association with Europe, is no longer part of the European Union
due to Brexit in 2020. If UK institutions are excluded, just one European university remains in
the top 20. These results challenge the perception of Europe as a benchmark in global
education.

What explains this shift in recent decades? According to H. Fang in his book Comprehensive
Evaluation of Higher Education Systems Using Indicators: PCA and EWM Methods (2023), the
quality of a university is closely linked to the effectiveness and structure of a country’s overall
education system. In this light, understanding the reasons behind the decline of Europe’s
educational leadership becomes even more important. In the following articles, we will explore
and analyse the contributing factors to this trend.