A UNIVERSITY which is now regarded as one of the best in the country, will celebrate its 40th anniversary at a dinner this weekend.

In October 1963, 230 people became the founding students of the University of York and, on Friday, 80 of them will return to celebrate the milestone.

The reunion dinner at the King's Manor will be hosted by the chancellor, Dame Janet Baker, and the vice-chancellor, Professor Brian Cantor.

Also attending will be some of the first staff, including Professor Sir Alan Peacock, the founding head of economics, and Professor Graeme Moodie, who still lives near the Heslington campus.

Alumni officer Dominic Boyd said: "When the university first opened its doors on October 9, 1963, just 230 students registered and the colleges had yet to be built.

"Forty years on over 50,000 students have graduated from York and the university is one of Britain's most successful."

The first students studied economics, politics, English, education, history or mathematics.

Sciences were taught at York from 1965 when laboratories were built.

There were 28 academic and administrative staff in 1963 and the first colleges, Derwent and Langwith, were opened by the Queen in October 1965.

Today, the main campus is in a 200-acre landscaped park and houses eight colleges, 23 academic departments and a number of research centres and institutes.

The total number of students for the year 2001-02 was 9,523, with 2,727 members of staff and only last month The Sunday Times named York the University of Year.