Magna Charta Universitatum

The Magna Charta Universitatum (Great Charter of Universities) is a document to celebrate university traditions and encourage bonds among European universities, but is also intended to serve as a universal inspiration and is open to universities throughout the world. It defines the key philosophical concepts of a university: academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
The charter was established by the University of Bologna and the European Rectors' Conference (now EUA) in 1988, to mark the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna, with 388 original signatories it has been signed by 889 universities from 88 countries.
History.
The "Magna Charta Universitatum Europaeum" was formally signed by 388 university rectors on 18 September 18 1988 at Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the founding of the University of Bologna. The final text of the document was drafted in January 1988 in Barcelona. 
The "Observatory Magna Charta Universitatum" was established in 1998 and incorporated in 2000. It organised is first convention in 2001. 73 universities signed the charter at the annual convention on 18 September 2018, bringing the total to 889, with 13 more having been accepted to sign in 2019.