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In the early seventeenth century, Wilhem von Humboldt established the first research and teaching university in Europe; it was also the first modern university in the world. This famous university has had tremendous influence on all other universities. Higher education in Europe is again experiencing considerable changes almost two hundred years later. This paper clarifies current Bologna-related academic reforms in the light of the Humboldt-initiated reform. Humboldt not only introduced the research function within universities, but also created a new pedagogy. It was a challenge to traditional knowledge and expressed a new vision of knowledge, recognizing all major academic activities.