Hunan University is also known as the “One Thousand Year Old University,” thanks to its incredible longevity. Developed from the Yuelu Academy, founded in 976 AD, Hunan University is China’s oldest higher education institution.
Hunan University is one of the most prestigious national key universities and is widely considered one of China's top-10 engineering research universities. The university belongs to the top 300th large comprehensive public research universities globally based on several most cited and reputed global university rankings such as ARWU, US News, and CWTS Leiden.
For much of the 20th Century, the university was primarily a technology and engineering university. Around 30 of its alumni have become members of either the Chinese Academy of Science or the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Most of the programs in the engineering department can be studied in English.
In the 2000s, the university broadened its curriculum to offer a comprehensive range of subjects. The university now has 23 colleges and departments, as well as the Graduate School.
Hunan University’s motto is “Seeking Truth from Facts; Daring to be Pioneers.”
The university campus features ponds, trees, and numerous flowers, with several buildings in the region's traditional style. Against the backdrop of the surrounding hills, it looks like a Chinese painting.
The university is located in Changsha, the capital of the Hunan Province. The region is known as the home of Wulingyuan Mountain and Mao Zedong.
