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SCMP Reporter

PORTUGAL has one of the oldest universities in the world. The university is in Coimbra, a city that dates back to Roman times, and was ratified by King Dinis in 1290.

  Most visitors do not know that the University of Coimbra is so old.

  It was not always in Coimbra, the most important city of central Portugal.

  It was founded in the Portuguese capital Lisbon but its seat alternated between the two cities until it was finally settled in Coimbra by order of King John III in 1537.

    The royal charter announcing the establishment of the university was dated March 1, 1290, although efforts to establish the university had begun at least two years earlier.

  The royal charter and the papal confirmation, which came six months later, marked the establishment of Portugal's first university and one of the oldest on the Iberian peninsula.

  In accordance with the Papal Bull, all the ''licit'' faculties, except that of theology, could be established at the university. This cleared the way for the setting up of the first faculties of law, arts, canon law and medicine in the young state of Portugal.

    There were good reasons for setting up such a university at the tail-end of the 13th century.

  The new political and administrative duties of the state and church necessitated, more than ever before, appropriate academic preparation.

    The higher education of these intellectuals was not considered at the time to be compatible with their attending schools so far away as those in Paris and Bologna.

  Also at this time, Portugal was still trying to define and create a national identity, so studies in neighbouring Salamanca were considered disadvantageous.

    The establishment of the university in Lisbon was viewed as necessary to provide the middle class and clergy with a more accessible means of educating themselves to perform their respective duties.

  The university was not to remain in Lisbon for too long, however. Several considerations led to it being moved to Coimbra.

    Coimbra was an ancient seat of learning and was the home of the highly successful school of the Monastery of Santa Cruz.

    It was only on moving that the university received true corporation status, when, by royal charter, autonomy and special privileges were bestowed on the university.

  An important privilege was the right granted to the student body to elect its own rectors.

    Today, the University of Coimbra, with seven faculties, a student population of 12,500 and a democratic organisation, has acquired a different structure.

  Nevertheless, some of its old academic traditions remain.



University's story is tale of two cities