An Ideal University?

Just on train reading collection of articles from 2006 special edition of 'Higher Education in Europe' on European university culture. All of them seem to form part of the idealisation of the universities in either the 60s/70s or the medieval period. Weren't they elitist in their subject areas, staff and students? Not sure universities ever had a golden age. Don't think they can ever attain their utopic visions, either. Universities are constantly changing as new knowledge uncovered, populations to teach found. And was there ever or can there ever be a single national or European university culture due to this individuality?