Hunan University (HNU; 湖南大学) is a public university in Yuelu, Changsha, Hunan, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.

Hunan University was founded in the year 976, during the Song dynasty, as Yuelu Academy, a Confucian shuyuan. In 1903, during the final years of the Qing dynasty, the school was converted into the Hunan Institute of Higher Education. The name of the institution was then changed to Hunan Normal College, and then Hunan Public Polytechnic School, before finally arriving at the name Hunan University in 1926.^[4]

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.^[5]

From April 1938 to May 1941, the National Hunan University suffered serious losses and, made it difficult to run the school. During the Battle of Changsha, the National Hunan University was suspended.^[5]

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][7]

In 1959, Hunan University was officially restored after the national readjustment of higher education institutions.^[8]

In 1963, HNU 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.^[8][9]

In 1996, Hunan University became one of the universities sponsored by Project 211.^[10] In 2000, Hunan University was selected as a member of Project 985.^[10][11]

In November 2010, the National Supercomputing Changsha Center was built on the Hunan University campus under the management and operation of Hunan University.^[12] 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.^[13]

In 2011, HNU participated in the Excellence League, an alliance of 10 Chinese universities with a strong background in engineering.^[14] In 2015, HNU joined the BRICS Universities League, a consortium of leading research universities from BRICS countries.^[15]

In 2017, Hunan University was listed in the Double First-Class Construction.^[16][17]

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.^[9][11] The administration is led by a CPC secretary and a president. The current secretary is Deng Wei, and the president is Duan Xianzhong.

It has the following colleges and departments:^[18]

• 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)^[19]
• Interdisciplinary Institute of Life Medicine^[20]

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.^{[35][36][37][38][39]}

Hunan University was ranked 286th worldwide in 2023 in terms of aggregate performance (THE+ARWU+QS) as reported by the Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities.^[40]

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;^[55] and Ci Yungui, the chief designer of China's first super computer.^[56]

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