United Kingdom

The origins of the UK university system lie in the Middle Ages. Oxford University came into being as an organized association of masters and students about the end of the 12th century or the start of the 13th. Based on the characteristics of the University of Paris, the scholars formed a guild of masters and, ultimately, an organized universitas. In about 1209, a group of scholars migrated to Cambridge and formed a corporation within the diocese of Ely. At Oxford, the office of Chancellor has been held in continuous succession since 1221 and at Cambridge from 1226. In both universities, licensed halls were developed to provide accommodation for students, and those grew into colleges, which came to be endowed by wealthy benefactors. Thus, in the 13th century University College, Oxford was endowed by William of Durham; Balliol, by John de Balliol and his wife; and Merton College, by Walter de Merton, who made over his estate at Maldon to a community of scholars that by 1270 had settled permanently at Oxford. The Bishop of Ely, Hugo de Balsham, founded Peterhouse at Cambridge in 1284. The two universities have remained collegiate in character, with the creation of additional colleges being the natural route to the growth of the institutions. In 2004, Cambridge announced its intention to build three new colleges in the next 15 years.