Central South University, located in Changsha City, Hunan Province, is a national key university directly under the Ministry of Education of People's Republic of China (PRC). [28] It ranks among the national "A-class universities to build world-class universities", "985 Project" and "2 1 1 Project". Selected in the national "20 1 1 plan", "11plan", excellent engineer education and training plan, excellent doctor education and training plan, excellent legal talent education and training plan,
Member of National College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Plan, National Postgraduate Training Plan for Building High-level Universities, New Engineering Research and Practice Plan, China Government Scholarship Receiving Institution for Foreign Students in China, Independent Auditing Unit for Degree Authorization, National Intellectual Property Demonstration University, one of the first five universities in China to pilot eight-year medical education (joint study of bachelor's degree and doctoral degree), China-Central Asian University Alliance and China-Russia Jiaotong University Alliance.
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 the course of Mining and Road in Hunan Higher Institute of Technology founded by 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.