The University of Durham is a public research university located in Durham, North East England. It was founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and was later incorporated in the year 1837 by the Royal Charter. Presently, the University of Durham is a member of the prestigious British research universities' Russell Group. Durham was the first recognized university to open in England for almost 600 years. Its main functions were divided between its 16 colleges and the academic departments of the university. Additionally, it was bestowed with the Queen's Anniversary Prize in the year 2018. The university is well-known for its history that spans over 180 years. In 2015, Durham was awarded by Times and Sunday Times as Sports University of the year. The QS World University Rankings ranked it as 78th best university globally in 2018. Also, it is one of the top public universities in Durham, UK. Apart from this, it is ranked at 86th position in QS Global World Rankings 2021.