What is a ‘university’? (The English Patient)

The term ‘university’ is used in most cases with only a vague understanding of exactly what a university is and does. Is a university anything with the word in its title or does the word actually convey a meaning as to the purpose of the institution? Much of the time this does not matter—people have an understanding of what it is, what it does and what it means. However, with globalisation and the creation of alliances and networks, the creation of the European Higher Education Area, competition for the best students and scholars, competition for funding, ‘league tables’ etc. the need for clarity and transparency increases. Even with cultural diversity this should be easy, but the impact of government policy may in fact skew the understanding, removing the word in England from the universal concept of what a university is and replacing it with a narrow English law definition.