Introduction to Hunan Engineering University

Hunan Engineering University (HNEU), located in Xiangtan, Hunan Province, the hometown of the great man Mao Zedong, is a state-approved public university founded by the Hunan Provincial Government. HNEU is a master’s degree-granting institution; among the first cohort of universities selected by China’s Ministry of Education for the “Excellent Engineer Education and Training Program”; a national pilot institution for the “Professional Degree Graduate Program for Special National Needs”; chair institution of the Regional University Alliance of Excellence in Engineering Education; among Hunan Province’s first recipients of the “2011 Plan” initiative; a high-level application-oriented university with comprehensive characteristics under the initiative of the “Double First-class” construction of Hunan Province; a tier-1 undergraduate admissions institution in Hunan Province.

HNEU was established in June 2000 by merging the former Xiangtan Mechanical and Electrical College (founded in 1951, under the former Ministry of Machinery Industry, a national demonstration college for higher engineering education) with the former Hunan Textile College (founded in 1978, under the former Hunan Textile Industry Department). From 1958 to 1963, “Xiangtan Electrical Engineering College”, the former Xiangtan Mechanical and Electrical College, had five years of undergraduate education.

HNEU comprises two picturesque campuses—the Main Campus and Shuyuan Road Campus—nestled alongside rivers and lakes, offering a serene environment imbued with scholarly charm. Covering an area of 1,830.6 mu with 588,000m2 of floor space, it is recognized as a “Garden-Style Unit” and “Model Civilized Campus” in Hunan Province. With 74 years of unwavering commitment to engineering education, our university has built a profound legacy. Rooted in Hunan while serving nationwide, we focus on grassroots needs, having cultivated over 200,000 highly-skilled applied professionals for the electromechanical, textile industries, and broader socioeconomic development.

HNEU has been a pioneer in applied education since becoming one of China’s first provincial universities to establish an application-oriented talent cultivation model in 2000. Recognized for its distinctive engineering-focused approach, the university holds leadership roles in multiple national education initiatives: vice-chair of National Collaborative Group for Application-Oriented Engineering Education; deputy director of National Committee for Applied Undergraduate Education (under the China Higher Education Teaching Research Association); chair of Textbook Compilation and Review Committee for Applied Talent Cultivation; council member of International Exchange Branch for Applied Universities (China Education Association for International Exchange); deputy director of Hunan Provincial Collaborative Group for Emerging Engineering Education. In 2007, we have earned “Excellent” in the Ministry of Education’s Undergraduate Teaching Evaluation; in 2018, we have passed the MOE Teaching Quality Audit; in 2024, we have received exceptional acclaim in the MOE Undergraduate Education Review, with experts praising, “HNEU has forged a distinctive path of high-quality development for regional non-capital universities.”

Centering on engineering, with coordinated development of multiple disciplines, covering such six major fields as engineering, management, literature, science, economics, and arts, HNEU has formed advantageous clusters of majors in electrical engineering, machinery, textile, chemical engineering, management, and information technology. Currently, there are 18 teaching and research units, 49 undergraduate enrollment majors, and 2 professional master’s degree programs. The engineering discipline ranks in the top 1% globally in ESI, and the engineering education reform achievements have won the second prize for national teaching achievements. There are 8 application-oriented disciplines following the “Double First-class” initiative at the provincial level; 8 majors for implementing the “Excellence Program” of the Ministry of Education; 6 national-level first-class undergraduate majors, 24 provincial-level first-class undergraduate majors; 4 majors approved by the engineering education professional certification, and 5 majors accepted for accreditation. There are 2 national-level first-class undergraduate courses, 77 provincial-level excellent courses/first-class undergraduate courses/excellent online courses. We have established 4 modern industrial schools, including 2 provincial-level modern industrial schools for artificial intelligence and smart energy, and 1 provincial-level excellent engineer training base. We also boast 4 national-level practical education platforms, 1 national-level college student technological innovation team, 52 provincial-level innovation and entrepreneurship platforms, 25 provincial-level school-enterprise cooperation talent training demonstration bases and excellent internship bases, and 9 provincial-level virtual simulation experiment centers and demonstration laboratories (centers). The metalworking internship base is designated by the Ministry of Education as the training and examination center for metalworking practice in universities nationwide.

HNEU pursues a Talent-empowered University strategy with a distinguished faculty team of 1,400 members, including over 400 professors/associate professors and nearly 200 doctoral/master’s supervisors. The university has established strong industry-academia ties by appointing 200+ enterprise supervisors and 300+ adjunct faculty from corporations. Our talent pool features 9 national-level experts (including academicians and distinguished young scholars), 11 prestigious awardees (State Council Special Allowance experts, National Outstanding Teachers, and MOE Teaching Guidance Committee members), and 4 excellent talents (China Association for Science and Technology “Lift” talents and MOE New Century Excellent Talents). At the provincial level, we have about 100 recognized experts (Hunan Government Special Allowance recipients, Provincial Teaching Masters, and Hunan Distinguished Young Scholars) and 14 provincial-level teaching & research innovation teams, demonstrating our comprehensive strength in both education and research.

HNEU has made significant strides in scientific research, technological innovation, and social services. The university boasts 40 provincial-level research platforms, including an Academician Workstation, Hunan’s first “Wind Power Equipment and Energy Conversion” 2011 Collaborative Innovation Center, the “Automotive Power and Transmission Systems” Key Laboratory, and the “Intelligent Logistics and Autonomous Driving Technology” Engineering Research Center. It is also a partner of the National Key Laboratory for “Offshore Wind Power Equipment and Efficient Wind Energy Utilization”. Over the past five years, the university has undertaken over 50 national-level research projects (including key and general projects under the National Key R&D Program and NSFC/SSFC), 700+ provincial/ministerial-level projects, and 1,400+ industry-commissioned projects. Its research output includes 300+ authorized invention patents and 35 provincial/ministerial-level scientific achievement awards. With a strong emphasis on industry-academia collaboration and technology transfer, the university has established eight major innovation research institutes and partnered with nearly 1,000 enterprises. More than 150 research achievements have been applied or commercialized, generating cumulative economic benefits exceeding 20 billion yuan. Recognized for its impact, the university ranked among China’s top 100 universities for technology transfer revenue in 2019. It was designated as one of Hunan’s first "Higher Education Institutions’ Achievements Transformation and Technology Transfer Bases" in 2022, a “Hunan Technology Transfer Demonstration Institution” and one of the province’s first “Pilot Bases for Industrial Pilot Testing of Scientific Achievements” in 2023. In 2024, it earned the honorary title of “Model Site” for Hunan’s Doctoral Innovation Stations.

HNEU has consistently implemented an open education strategy and is recognized as one of Hunan’s pioneering institutions in Sino-foreign cooperative education. The university currently offers three MOE-approved joint undergraduate programs, including Hunan’s first-approved Electrical Engineering and Automation program and the exclusively newly-added Software Engineering program in 2023. We have established academic collaborations with over 50 universities and institutions across more than 20 countries and regions, and have welcomed degree-seeking international students from over 10 countries to study on campus. Our global engagement reflects our commitment to internationalized education and cross-cultural exchange.

Facing a new journey and mission in the new era, and guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, HNEU will fully implement the spirit of the Fourth Party Congress, adhering to moral education as our fundamental task. We will advance the innovative “Three-Color Ideological Education” program, strengthen our institutional pillars: Quality as Foundation, Talent as Priority, and Distinctiveness as Advantage, and deepen our commitment to applied talent cultivation, so as to enhance core competitiveness and overall educational excellence. Through our “135 Initiative”, we are transforming into a Red HNEU honoring revolutionary heritage, an Aspiring HNEU driving progress, an Exceptional HNEU achieving engineering excellence, and a Fulfilling HIE fostering community prosperity. Our vision is to become a distinctive, contribution-driven, first-class application-oriented university that actively supports Hunan’s “Three Highlands and Four New Missions” strategy and advances the Hunan chapter of Chinese modernization.

(May 2025）