Abstract
This article first reviews the historical process of how the first universities,i.e., the Universities of Bologna and Paris, arose, and then overviews and compares the current higher education reforms which are being implemented in Japan and Europe. Through this, the author draws the following conclusion: the essence of the first universities established in Medieval Europe was their universality, achieved mainly through the universal influence of their knowledge and the mobility of academics and students. The reform of higher education currently being implemented in Europe, called the "Bologna Process," apparently has this universality as its basic philosophy. In contrast, the reforms being implemented in Japanese higher education seem to lack a historical standpoint and make light of the universality which we should expect of our universities.
