Hunan University


Hunan University, in Changsha, Hunan, is a member of Project 985 and Project 211, which are sponsored by the Ministry of Education of China aiming to become a world-class university. It is an elite university, with Chinese Ministry of Education Double First Class University status, a major government initiative to comprehensively develop a group of elite universities into "world-class universities" by 2050.
Hunan University is one of the most prestigious national key universities in People's Republic of China. The university belongs to the top 300th large comprehensive research universities in the world based on the several global university rankings. Its Chemistry, Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Design, Computer Science and Technology, Applied Economics, International Trade, and Business Administration programs are some of its strongest. As of January 2020, Hunan University has seven disciplines in mathematics, chemistry, engineering, physics, materials science, biology and biochemistry, and computer science in the top 1% of Essential Science Indicators.

Rankings and reputation

Hunan University traces its history back to the Yuelu Academy founded in 976 AD during the Song dynasty. Shuyuan was one form of higher learning school in China; another form was government-sponsored schools including imperial central school Taixue or Guozijian and regional schools. The Yuelu Academy was a venue for Chinese scholars and their students to meet and discuss sophisticated topics in the areas of Confucian Studies.
The modern school was founded in 1897, initially called Shiwu Xuetang and in 1903 called Hunan Institute of Higher Learning. The school name Hunan University was proposed in 1912, and in 1926 Hunan University was composed of three specialized public schools of Hunan. It was renamed Central-South Institute of Civil Engineering in 1937 and then Hunan Polytechnic College. The name Hunan University was again adopted in 1949.
The calligraphy of "Yuelu Academy" was written by Emperor Zhenzong of Song in 1015, and the calligraphy of "Hunan University" was written by Mao Zedong in 1950 as soon as the People's Republic of China was founded.
For more than 1000 years, academic activities have been carrying on here. In the course of its development from Yuelu Academy to Hunan University, this long-established institution has cultivated a large number of outstanding scholars.
Among its prominent alumni are Wang Fuzhi, a celebrated philosopher in Chinese history; Wei Yuan, a reformist who first advocated to learn from the West; Zeng Guofan, the first Chinese to initiate the Modernization Movement and to make arrangements for a modern factory in China; Zuo Zongtang, a national hero who arranged to build China's first modern navy and took great pains to defend and develop Xinjiang; Guo Songtao, China's first ambassador to a foreign country; Cai E, a major leader in defending the Republic of China; the first Chinese to set foot on the continent of Antarctica; and Ci Yungui, the chief designer of China's first super computer.

Academics and administration

The administration is led by a CPC secretary and a president. The current secretary is Deng Wei and the president is Duan Xianzhong.
There are more than 30,000 full-time students, including more than 20,800 undergraduates and more than 14,000 graduate students.
The college is part of the 211 Project and Project 985.
It has the following colleges and departments:
The dormitories for oversea students are located at Dezhi Students' Residential Area and North campus. Every year, Hunan University has approximately 1,000 international students from over 108 countries and regions in the world, as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. Hunan university is one of the Project 985 universities in China to launch an international student program taught entirely in English. Hunan university encourages international students to study at the university through the Self-Financed Program, the Partial Scholarship Program and the Full Scholarship Program for eligible students. More than 10% of all the international applicants have been awarded full scholarship.

Cooperation

Hunan University has been active at academic exchanges, and has established academic cooperation or academic exchange programs with over 160 oversea universities and research institutes across the world since 1998. It has been honorably listed among "China's Top 10" for four consecutive years by the Ministry of Education in terms of placing the joint international education as a top priority program. Hunan University is one of the top universities in China to form the BRICS Network University, a network of the BRICS member countries' higher education institutions engaged in cooperation and joining the BRICS Network University.

Notable alumni