When did universities first appear?

The concept of a university evolved gradually, but the first institutions resembling modern universities appeared in the late 11th and early 12th centuries in Europe. Specifically, the University of Bologna (founded in 1088), the University of Oxford (emerging around 1096), and the University of Paris (Sorbonne, emerging around 1150) are generally considered among the oldest. It's important to note that these weren't established with charters or formal structures immediately, but rather evolved from existing schools and groups of scholars.