Bangalore University (commonly known as BU, Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯ) is a public university located in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India. The university is one of the oldest in India, dating back to 1886. The university is a part of The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and nears the status of "Potential for Excellence" which is reserved for the top 10 universities in India under the Guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The University is engaged in research through MoU with foreign and local universities, organizations and institutions. Numbers of its departments are identified by UGC as Centres of Excellence. The University was opened as the Central College, Bangalore in 1886, by the British Government to award University degrees. It was renamed as the Bangalore University from Central College, Bangalore by the UGC, India on July 10, 1964 by the government under the then State of Mysore to consolidate institutions of higher education in the city of Bangalore. The university now operates from two campuses - the Central College Campus and the Jnana Bharathi Campus.