The youngest doctoral supervisor in Central South University is Liu Lu. 20 12 was hired as a professor-level researcher by Central South University in March, only 22 years old, and the media called him "the youngest professor in China".

Central South University was formed in April 2000 by the merger of Hunan Medical University, Changsha Railway Institute and Central South University of Technology. The former Central South University of Technology was formerly known as Central South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, founded in 1952, and the former Changsha Railway Institute was formerly known as Central South Institute of Architecture and Engineering, founded in 1953. The main disciplines of the two universities can be traced back to Hunan Higher Industrial School, which was founded in 1903. Hunan Medical University, formerly known as Xiangya Medical College, was founded in 19 14 and is one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in western medicine in China.