The Humboldtian model of higher education (German: Humboldtsches Bildungsideal) or just Humboldt's ideal is a concept of academic education that emerged in the early 19th century whose core idea is a holistic combination of research and studies. Sometimes called simply the Humboldtian model, it integrates the arts and sciences with research to achieve both comprehensive general learning and cultural knowledge. Several elements of the Humboldtian model heavily influenced the concept of the research university. The Humboldtian model goes back to Wilhelm von Humboldt, who in the time of the Prussian reforms relied on a growing, educated middle class to promote his conception of general education.
Humboldt's educational model went beyond vocational training in Germany. In a letter to the Prussian king, he wrote:
