Plato’s Academy: A Look at the Institution Often Called the World’s First University

Founded by Plato in ancient Athens around 2,400 years ago, the Academy brought together the study of philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, politics and physics.

Its broad range of subjects made it a notable centre of learning, where questions about human society could be explored alongside the workings of the natural world.

The Academy is often described as the world’s first university. The comparison reflects its place in the history of organised higher learning, though it was not a university in the modern sense.

At the heart of its legacy is an approach to education that connected different fields of inquiry. Plato’s institution remains a landmark in the history of philosophy and learning.