Matej Bel University (commonly referred as Matej Bel or UMB), is a public research university in the central Slovak town of Banská Bystrica. The University was established on July 1, 1992 and inaugurated on October 23, 1992. It bears the name of Matthias Bel, an outstanding Lutheran scholar of the 18th century. As a collegiate university, it comprises six faculties that differ in character and history, each retaining substantial autonomy on financial and institutional affairs.