Note: in your answer, please mention which country you work in, and whether the definition is yours or your country's (or both, as in, you agree with that definition).

Hi, I'm an employee of my alma mater (I'm a web editor), and I'm a prospective Higher Ed Admin master's student. I may want to pursue a PhD.

I'm finding that it's hard to find resources that explain what a university even is, what it is made up of, etc. It seems like something that is taken for granted that you know already, and for many authors, it's assumed that you agree with their definition. So I thought it might be worthwhile to pose the question to real professors here on Reddit. I plan to ask many people--staff and students as well--as to what they believe a university is as well, to get a wide view. But what is your take?