What is the unifying thread of this centuries-old institution? How university
as an institution which has undergone so many transitions through the centuries still
remain strong as a higher learning institution? Throughout this narrative, the purpose
has been to search for the quintessence of the idea of a university, the core principle
which has enabled it to endure. One of the more coherent concepts is that of
“understanding”. In this context, “understanding” encompasses a broader concept –
from enquiry, critical debate, self-understanding, self-discovery, self-reflection and
self-knowledge to the pursuit of truth. As such, “understanding” has the ability to bind
all those who believe in the search for truth and in the idea of a university, to be
believers through the quest for knowledge.
Keywords: Self-Discovery, Self-Knowledge, Self-Reflection, Self-
Understanding, The Idea of a University, Truth-Seeking.
