The Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Serbian: Српска академија наука и уметности / Srpska Akademija Nauka i Umetnosti; САНУ / SANU) is the most prominent academic institution in Serbia. Since the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts was founded by law (as the Serbian Royal Academy) of November 1, 1886, it has been the highest academic institution in Serbia. According to the Royal Academy Founding Act, King Milan was to appoint the first academic, who would then choose other members of the academy. The names of the first academics were announced by King Milan on April 5, 1887. At that time, there existed four sections in the academy, which were then called "specialised academies".
The Serbian Royal Academy was the successor to the Serbian Learned Society with which it merged in 1892 and accepted its members as its own either regular or honorary members, its tasks and its place in scientific and cultural life. The same had occurred several decades earlier when the Serbian Learned Society took over the place and functions of the Society of Serbian Letters, the first learned society in the Serbian Principality.
Today, the Academy directs a number of scientific research projects which are realized in cooperation with Serbian scientific institutions and through international cooperation.