* The University of Santo Tomas (UST): This is the oldest existing university in Asia. Founded in 1611 as a university by the Dominican Order, it offered a range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, canon law, and some aspects of the liberal arts. While it had some secular subjects, its focus and governance were strongly Catholic and tied to the Church. It wasn't a fully secular university offering a broad range of modern disciplines like we see today.
It's crucial to understand that formal higher education during this period was largely controlled by the Catholic Church. There weren't state-funded or independent secular universities offering the breadth of subjects seen in modern institutions. Other schools existed, primarily seminaries and colleges focused on religious training, but none achieved the stature or scope of a modern university comparable to those existing today.