The European Middle Ages generally refers to the period between 600 and 1500 AD. The Song Dynasty (960–1279) in China was a period of significant development and prosperity for the classical academies. Medieval universities in Europe emerged in the middle of the Middle Ages, from the late eleventh century to the twelfth century. The medieval universities appeared later than the rise of the Song Dynasty academies, but they coincided with the development of the leading academies of the Song Dynasty. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, there was a similar trend in the socio-cultural field in China and Europe: The new development of intellectual scholarship and the construction of new teaching institutions complemented each other.