The Magical Academies

The nature of magic is by its very nature horrifying, and chaotic. It is during the early days of the Age of Mortals that out of control magic was brought to the world, for it became clear that many spellcasters couldn't handle the change their bodies went through, and would simply die in sometimes explosively catastrophic calamity's. Entire villages were wiped off the face of the earth by such horrors. No more, the kingdoms of the world thought, and got to work finding a solution. Many nations would come up with their own methods, but in the end it was the formation of Magical Institutions across the world that brought such troubles to an end, for the most part. Such academies are run differently based on where they reside in the world, but for the most part every academy is unified on its main goal: to instruct those born with magical talent, so that they are not a danger to others, and can instead be turned to more positive methods in life.
To start, one must understand one key thing: induction into the academies is NOT slavery. While the students are not technically "free", they are not owned by the academies or the local government, and not forced into servitude on its behalf. Now the academies seek to heavily push and encourage students to take up jobs dedicated to the local government, but by no means is this forced. Each academy is supposed to respect the rights of the student, however it must be admitted that some academies are more corrupt then others, and religious institutions that find magic distasteful can also play a hand in legislation and the operation of said academies.

On the Schools of Magic

When discussing magic and its many types, generally there are too many to list off in its entirety, however magic can be broken down to 2 distinct schools of training: "wizards" and "sorcerers". Wizards are those who seek to tap into the arcane energies in the very world, picking up the "ethereal tides" as they wax and wane throughout the known world. While this method is considered less prone to bodily harm, it does require far more hard work and dedication to study then the other. Sorcerers on the other hand seek to tap into the arcane energy stored within their own bodies, for every living creature has a wellspring of magical energy inside them, some are just able to tap into it. Sorcerers are considered more wild and risky and can end up burning through magic more quickly, however casting spells can be slightly more simpler than wizardry.
After this, while the list of known magical schools is many, most academies will abide by what the laws allow them to pursue. For example, most academies have the following magical traditions banned: Necromancy, Sangromancy, and anything involving demonic magic. While outlawing demonic magic is pretty standard for all academies around the world, Necromancy and Sangromancy are handled differently, as some nations allow or don't allow them. For example, Tajir while not actively supporting Sangromancy, does not have any written law outright banning it, however it also does not have any written law protecting Sangromancers either. Necromancy is not banned, and actually taught freely in places like Rustil, and some parts of Kanto. At the end of the day it really depends on what the laws of the nation say is allowed or not.

Structure

Varies based on academy. Ashenfeld for example has a system of a council of master magic users each representing one of the many traditions and arcane arts, who work to determine the future and current happenings of the institution.

Culture

To be in an academy is to know hard work. Most students will be inducted at a young age, for signs of magical talent usually manifest in early to mid teens. The family will be compensated if taking the child away from their family for a time would cause any financial stress, as the state considered it wholly necessary to make sure these children are not walking arcane timebombs. Once in the academy, the student will be allowed to choose which school of magic they shall devout themselves too, and from there they will be trained hard for a few years until they are considered ready for the world, taking about 3-4 years. Once done, the student is allowed to be known as a Journeyman Arcanist, a wandering magic user who can more freely move around the world. However some students may feel they do not want to learn any magic but instead simply not be a danger, and so some take shorter time in the academy to simply learn how to not be a threat to anyone around them, and sent back to their families quicker then others as they simply live their life as a regular mortal would. While this option allows for more freedom, it also cuts one off from the academy, and the potential to rise up in the ranks of the academies schools of magic, which could reap very lucrative and prestigious titles and positions.
However for both outcomes what remains the same is how they are kept tabs of. First, every magic user is given a form of ID, signifying that they are indeed a trained and licensed member of the local academy. Second is that most academies prefer to keep tabs on their students, and so it is considered good practice for a Journeymen Arcanist to let local authorities know who they are and that they are indeed a licensed magic user. This is done so that academies know where their students are and can step in in case some form of trouble happens, and it lets witch hunters know that this individual is not to be worried about, as they are legal, unless of course the witch hunter is suspicious and suspects a falsified identity. This also gives the local guard fair warning as many are hesitant to take on magic users should they break a law, and so may call the local religious authority, witch hunter, or other magical individuals to deal with the problem.

Assets

Most academies are backed up by the local governments, and so are fairly secured in their futures as they are considered a necessary institution for the safety of everyone.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Magic has always been a complicated subject, and opinions change based on where one lives. In most of Nilush, magic is viewed with very deep suspicion. A lot of supernatural events or effects that appear harmless or benign are more often then not connected with very bad long term effects. Everyone has heard folktales of evil wizards, and the Church of the Flame warns of the corrupting danger of arcane magic. If power corrupts absolutely, and magic is the ultimate form of power, then is it not possible that magic can corrupt a person to vile deeds? No matter how good or upright and respectable a magic user will be, in most regards citizens will be suspicious, while in some rarer cases be overtly frightened by their presence. In truth the understanding of magic really depends on ones living conditions, as rural peasantry may only know the basics of magic being "an invisible force that can alter the world" while citizens in more wealthy areas are afforded more knowledge of the matter of arcane power.
However in Iadith for example, magic is so strong and powerful in the Iadith Empire, that many regularly citizens are very knowledgeable of magic, and many of their wizards and sorcerers are incredibly talented thanks to their elven genes. In Carall, the very learned people of Tajir and Mowa have a more practical outlook on magic, simply viewing it as another fact of life that isn't as well understood, however some suspicion still remains as many tales have been told of strange desert magic users causing havoc, especially amongst the nomadic tribes. In Orliea magic is slightly stronger there, and so while they understand magic a bit better than Nilush, suspicion still largely remains, as the Kantonese are incredibly superstitious with spirits and supernatural energies, and Catai has had a history of rogue spellcasters causing horrific civil wars.
In truth, the politics and perception of magic in the world, are as highly varied as people can be, and so its impossible to list all of them down.

Type

Education, Magic