The original Latin word "universitas" refers in general to "a number of persons associated into one body, a society, company, community, guild, corporation, etc." At the time of the emergence of urban town life and medieval guilds, specialised "associations of students and teachers with collective legal rights usually guaranteed by charters issued by princes, prelates, or the towns in which they were located" came to be denominated by this general term. Like other guilds, they were self-regulating and determined the qualifications of their members. 

An important idea in the definition of a university is the notion of academic freedom. The first documentary evidence of this comes from early in the life of the first university. The University of Bologna adopted an academic charter, the Constitutio Habita, in 1158 or 1155, which guaranteed the right of a traveling scholar to unhindered passage in the interests of education. Today this is claimed as the origin of "academic freedom". This is now widely recognised internationally - on 18 September 1988, 430 university rectors signed the Magna Charta Universitatum, marking the 900th anniversary of Bologna's foundation. The number of universities signing the Magna Charta Universitatum continues to grow, drawing from all parts of the world.
What was the first university? What did it put in place? What was that? When? What is the basis of the word university? What language? What word? When did these start to form? Were they different from other groups? How were they similar? Did they have any rights together? Why? And who else? What made them unique? What else defined them? Is the idea of academic freedom recognized today? How was it recognized? When? By how many schools? Why was that date chosen?
The University of Bologna the Constitutio Habita it guaranteed a traveling scholar unhindered passage in the interests of education in 1158 or 1155 a number of persons associated into one body Latin universitas when urban town life emerged no they were self-regulating and determined the qualifications of their members yes they were guaranteed by charters issued by princes prelates the notion of academic freedom yes yes with the Magna Charta Universitatum on 18 September 1988 430 it was 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna's foundation