The Australian National University, commonly abbreviated to ANU, is a public teaching and research university located in Canberra, Australia, the federal capital city. The University 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 University is consistently ranked as the best university in Australia by many worldwide university ranking systems, including the Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the annual Times Higher Education Supplement rankings. Its notable staff and alumni include five Nobel laureates.