Hunan University

The Administration Building of Hunan University designed by Liu Shiying (Chinese architect), the founder of modern architectural education in China.

Hunan University traces its history back to the Yuelu Academy, founded in 976 AD during the Song dynasty.[4][5] Shuyuan was one form of private educational institution in China; another form was government-sponsored academies 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 Confucian Studies.

In 976 AD, the Yuelu Academy was founded.[5][6]

In 1015, the calligraphy of "Yuelu Academy" was written by Emperor Zhenzong of Song.

In 1897, the modern school was founded, initially called Shiwu Institute (Xuetang) (时务学堂).

In 1903, the modern university was renovated from Yuelu Academy into the Hunan Institute of Higher Education after founding the Shiwu school.

In 1926; the Hunan Institute of Higher Education was renamed Hunan University.[6] In 1937, it was transformed from a provincial university into a national university, renamed the National Hunan University, and designated by the Ministry of education, becoming the fifteenth national university.[7]

From April 1938 to May 1941, the National Hunan University suffered serious losses and made it difficult to run the school, and during the Battle of Changsha, the National Hunan University was suspended.[7]

In 1949, the name Hunan University was again adopted and the calligraphy of "Hunan University" was written by Mao Zedong in 1950 as soon as the People's Republic of China was founded.[6][8]

In 1959, Hunan University was officially restored after the national readjustment of higher education institutions.[9]

In 1963, it became a key university under the ministry and was subordinated to the First Ministry of Machinery Industry.[6] In 1978, Hunan University's status as one of the 88 National Key Universities in China was reaffirmed.[9][10]

In 1996, Hunan University became one of the national key universities sponsored by the major national program "Project 211".[11] In 2000, Hunan University was selected as a member of the "Project 985" to facilitate efforts and progress toward a comprehensive, research-oriented, and internationalized world-class university.[11][12]

In November 2010, the National Supercomputing Changsha Center was laid in Hunan University campus under the management and operation of Hunan University.[13] It is the first National Supercomputing Center in Central China and the third of its kind apart from other two national centers situated in Tianjin and Shenzhen.[14]

In 2011, along with nine other Project 985 universities, HNU officially participated in the Excellence League, an alliance of 10 Chinese universities with a strong background in engineering.[15] In 2015, HNU joined the BRICS Universities League, a consortium of leading research universities from BRICS countries.[16]

In 2017, Hunan University was listed in the Double First Class University Plan, the most recent major program for developing top research comprehensive universities in China.[17][18]

For more than 1000 years, academic activities have been carried 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 and has been honored as an "Ancient Millenarian Academy, Famous Centennial University".[4][19] Additionally, Times Higher Education named Hunan University the "One Thousand Year Old University" due to its incredible longevity and recognized it as "China's oldest higher education institution".[19]

Hunan University Library

Hunan University is a national key university under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education of China, and a member of Project 211 and Project 985, as well as the Double First Class University Plan.[10][12] In October 2020, Hunan University has been selected as the National Intellectual Property Demonstration University among the first batch of 30 demonstration universities by the China National Intellectual Property Administration and the Ministry of Education of China.[20] The administration is led by a CPC secretary and a president. The current secretary is Deng Wei and the president is Duan Xianzhong.

Central Teaching Building, at the south rim of the Central Quad, one of the major liberal arts teaching buildings

Hunan University Stadium

It has the following colleges and departments:[21]

• Architecture
• Biology
• Business Administration
• Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
• Chinese Language and Literature
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
• Design
• Economy and Trade
• Educational Science
• Electrical and Information Engineering
• Robotics
• Environmental Science and Engineering
• Finance and Statistics
• Foreign Languages and International Studies
• Journalism and Communication and Film and Television Arts
• Law
• Marxism Studies
• Mathematics and Econometrics
• Materials and Engineering
• Mechanical Vehicle Engineering
• Physical Education
• Public Administration
• Physics and Microelectronics Science
• Yuelu Academy
• Semiconductors (Integrated Circuits)[22]
• Interdisciplinary Institute of Life Medicine[23]

Hunan University is ranked in the top 300 research universities in the world by several global university rankings such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking, the Center for World University Rankings, and the CWTS Leiden Ranking.[44][45][46][47][48]

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 (at the time called Yangwu Yundong, a movement to imitate overseas technology and industry) 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; Zhang Fengxuan, the first Chinese to set foot on the continent of Antarctica;[64] and Ci Yungui, the chief designer of China's first super computer.[65] An extensive list of Hunan university alumni can be found here.

• President of Hunan University
• Hunan University faculty
• Hunan University station
• List of universities in China

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hunan University.

• Official website (in Chinese)
• Official website (in English)
• University history

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