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It was in Bologna, in northern Italy, at the end of the 11th century. Although historical records are imprecise, the most accepted date is 1088, when teaching in the city became free and independent of religious schools. Shortly afterwards, in the twelfth century, the University of Paris was founded and these two establishments then gave the start to the emergence of countless others in Europe. Even if they were disconnected from the Church, they depended on the approval of the clergy or the government to function. They dedicated themselves to teaching laws, medicine, astronomy and logic.
In Brazil, the first higher education institution was the Bahia School of Surgery, created in 1808. “Then came the law schools of São Paulo and Olinda, in 1827”, says historian Maria Lígia Coelho Prado, from USP. The first university to offer varied courses was the one in Rio de Janeiro, founded in 1920.