Hunan Normal University

Hunan Normal University

Hunan Normal University, or HNU, is a university specializing in teacher training. HNU consistently ranks among China’s top 100 universities, and is a member of the prestigious Project 211, a government initiative to prioritize development of the country’s most renowned universities. HNU is widely considered to be among South China’s top teacher training universities, though today it is considered a multidisciplinary institution of higher learning.

China’s Hunan Normal University was founded in 1938 as National Teachers College. After several name changes and mergers, it became Hunan Normal University in 1984. In 2000, HNU absorbed Hunan Education College, Hunan Medical College, and the College of Politics and Law in Hunan. While it began as a teacher training college and is still renowned for its teacher training programs, today Hunan Normal University offers a broader range of coursework, including natural sciences, liberal arts, medicine, and law.

More than 24,000 undergraduates and 8,000 graduate students attend HNU. Of these, approximately 300 are international students enrolled in either short- or long-term courses. International students are invited to enroll in any of the programs offered by Hunan Normal University. The university has academic exchange agreements with more than 80 academic institutions around the world. Since the year 2000, HNU has invited more than 600 foreign experts to give lectures or conduct research.

There are more than 1,000 professors and associate professors at Hunan Normal University, including one academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, considered to be prestigious awards for professors. The university has 23 colleges in all, which offer a total of 74 undergraduate degrees, 147 master’s programs, and 55 doctoral programs.

The university is located in the ancient city of Changsha, the capital of South-Central China’s Hunan Province. Today, Changsha is a major port and commercial center. There are five campuses of Hunan Normal University in all, most of which are near the famed Yuelu Mountain. The university is also affiliated with a famous high school in Changsha known as The High School Attached to Hunan Normal University, which is renowned for attracting a top-ranked faculty.

Campus facilities include a large academic library housing a renowned collection of ancient Chinese thread-bound books and the university’s own publishing house, known as Hunan Normal University Press, which handles the publication of 12 academic journals. The university also offers a number of notable research centers and laboratories.

Summary

Hunan Normal University, or HNU, was founded in 1938 and is a university specializing in teacher training. HNU consistently ranks among China’s top 100 universities. While it began as a teacher training college, today Hunan Normal University offers a broader range of coursework. The university has 23 colleges in all, offering 74 undergraduate degrees, 147 master’s programs, and 55 doctoral programs. More than 24,000 undergraduates and 8,000 graduate students attend HNU. The university is located in Changsha, an ancient city in South-Central China’s Hunan Province, and has five campuses. The university is also affiliated with a famous high school.