of Europe during the Middle Ages. The opening of this work introduces the significance of universities as crucial centers of learning, particularly emphasizing their role in society, as reflected in Chaucer's depictions of students. Rait highlights the historical context of university founding and development, exploring terms related to these institutions such as "Universitas" and "Studium Generale." It sets the stage for a more detailed examination of student life, the organization of universities, the daily experiences of scholars, and the intellectual currents that characterized this vibrant period of educational history, which Rait aims to illuminate further in the following chapters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)