Known as “The Millennial Academy & Centennial Normal University”, Hunan First Normal University (HNFNU) is one of the birthplaces of Hunan culture and modern teacher education in China. Among its constellation of prominent alumni is Mao Zedong, the first president of the People’s Republic of China. In 1161, a renowned scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty named Zhang Shi founded Chengnan Academy, the precursor of HNFNU. In 1903, the academy was renamed Hunan Faculty of Education, starting to provide modern teacher education. In 1912, its name was changed into Hunan First Public Normal School. In 1949, the school was renamed Hunan First Normal School. It adopted its current name in 2008, officially becoming a university. A decade later, with the approval of the government, HNFNU launched a project to develop graduate programs. In 2019, it was listed among the first-tier universities in Hunan province’s college enrollment system. In 2021, HNFNU and Hunan Normal University co-developed joint master’s degree programs, supported by the Ministry of Education of PRC.
HNFNU has two campuses, the Chengnan Campus and the Dongfanghong Campus, covering an area of around 221.74 acres. It comprises 12 schools and 1 academy with more than 20,000 students and 1,300 faculty & staff. The university provides 32 undergraduate programs that include accounting, tourism management, international economics & trading, marketing, mathematics & applied mathematics, computer science & technological communication engineering, electronic information engineering, artificial intelligence, primary education, psychology and so on, encompassing 8 academic disciplines ─ education, liberal arts, science, engineering, management science, economics, laws, and arts. Boasting its excellent education in humanities and arts, HNFNU has programs ranging from international Chinese language education, Chinese language & literature, and English language to calligraphy, musicology, choreography, fine arts, and physical education, 12 of which are the first-tier programs in Hunan Province. Noteworthily, HNFNU provides courses featuring in traditional Chinese culture, such as Chinese calligraphy, seal cutting, traditional dancing, traditional sports, ancient Chinese poems, and translation of Mao Zedong’s poems.
HNFNU has been awarded a host number of titles: Major Historical & Cultural Site Protected at The National Level, National Pilot Institution for Patriotic Education, Classic National Red Culture Tourist Attraction, National Social Science Popularization Base, National Education Base for Primary and Middle School Student Research and Practice, National Pilot Institution for Education System Reform, National Institution for Excellent Primary School Teacher Cultivation, Hunan Civilized University, and Hunan Civilized Campus.
As the alma mater of Mao Zedong, HNFNU has profound and long-lasting international influence. In recent years, with its long history, rich cultural resources, and excellence in teacher education, it has established partnerships with 20 universities beyond China’s mainland, running a variety of programs such as joint undergraduate programs, exchange of researchers and teaching staff, exchange of students, academic collaborations international Chinese language education, international summer camps, and short-term study in Hong Kong. HNFNU has gone far on its way to create an international HNFNU community that adheres to its Chinese identity yet embraces cultural diversities.
(https://www.HNFNU.edu.cn/)
