The Australian National University (ANU) is a public teaching and research university located in Canberra, Australia. ANU was established by an act of the Parliament of Australia on 1 August 1946 with the legislated purpose of conducting and promoting research in Australia. The Australian National University consistently ranks among the top universities in Australia and is one of the top universities in the world in a number of fields. ANU is a member of several university alliances and cooperative networks, including the Group of Eight, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy and the International Alliance of Research Universities. ANU includes five Nobel laureates among its staff and alumni.