Universities were invented in medieval Europe and, to my knowledge, they were always supported by ruling authorities, be them kings, emperors or popes, who granted them their legitimacy.
Of course a sovereign country can define (or refrain from defining) a university in any way they like, but the historical argument really doesn't help much there. The historical notion of a university is very much tied to ruling powers.
The earliest universities were in Asia and Africa,[1] evolving from madrasas founded by religious patrons, similar to how early European universities evolved from monastic schools.
