Association of Commonwealth Universities

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Association of Commonwealth Universities
Logo of the ACU
Formation	1913
Type	Charitable organization
Headquarters	London
Secretary General	Professor John Tarrant
Website	http://www.acu.ac.uk/

The Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.

"We serve our member institutions by advancing international co-operation and understanding in higher education, and by providing a broad range of services and facilities."

History

In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire. They decided they needed a "bureau of information." Its affairs would be handled by a committee representing universities at home and abroad. In 1913 the office opened as the Universities Bureau of the British Empire. They incorporated under license of the Board of Trade in 1919 and received a grant of £5000 to operate an office premises, with the understanding that the universities of the Empire would fund its maintenance. In 1948 the name was changed to Association of Universities of the British Commonwealth, and in 1963 it changed to its current name.

Dr Anastasios Christodoulou was the Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities from 1980 to 1996.

In 1986, Queen Elizabeth II became patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.