The North Borneo University College (NBUC) is the first private university established in the State of Sabah. Established under Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996, recognized by the Ministry of Education Malaysia and a full member of The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU, UK). NBUC is a nationally accredited university with a distinguished historical name of North Borneo in acknowledgment of the history and diversity in ethnicity, culture, and language of the State of Sabah. The State of North Borneo was made a British protectorate in 1888.