As a national key university directly under the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Central South University was established through the merger of the former Hunan Medical University, Changsha Railway University and Central South University of Technology on April 29, 2000.

    The former Central South University of Technology was established in 1952 and identified as a national key university in 1960; in 1996, it passed the approval review and entered the list of key universities of national “Project 211”; in 1998, it was transferred to be directly under Ministry of Education from China National Non-ferrous Metals Industry Corporation.

    The former Hunan Medical University, formerly known as Xiangya Medical University, was founded in 1914. As one of the earliest western medicine colleges and universities in China, it is the only counterpart in the south to Peking Union Medical College, the best medical school in China; in 1996, it passed the preliminary review of the department in charge of “Project 211” and began to be subject to co-construction by the province and the Ministry of Health of the P.R.C. (now known as the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the P.R.C.) to which it was affiliated.

    The former Changsha Railway University, formerly known as Central South College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, was founded under the reorientation of national higher education institutions in 1953; in 1960, it was relocated on the basis of three institutionalized departments and some teaching and research offices and was affiliated to the Ministry of Railways of the P.R.C.