The University of Canterbury, located in Christchurch, the capital of Canterbury Province, New Zealand, is New Zealand's second oldest well-known research university. Member of the 21st Century Academic Alliance and the Association of Commonwealth Universities. The predecessor of the University of Canterbury was Canterbury College, founded in 1873. Along with its historical development, the school was once part of the University of New Zealand. In 1961, the University of Canterbury became an independent university and moved its main campus from the center of Christchurch to Ilam on the outskirts of the city. The University of Canterbury has seven colleges: art, business, engineering, law, music and fine arts, forestry, and science. It is divided into 38 departments. The school has the earliest engineering college in New Zealand and the largest education college, enjoying domestic and international reputation. The University of Canterbury has excellent facilities and resources. The library system includes the largest comprehensive central library and four specialized libraries in the South Island of New Zealand, with a collection of more than one million volumes and volumes. The University of Canterbury is committed to promoting education without borders, cultivating world citizens and leaders of the times. World-class professors from Oxford and Cambridge lecture here, promoting the vigorous development of teaching and academic research at the University of Canterbury.