Xiangtan University is a national key comprehensive university founded in 1958. It is one of the first universities which were authorized by Ministry of Education to confer master's degree in China and to enroll international students in Hunan Province. It is located in the cradle of Hu-Xiang Culture, the key makeup of Chinese culture--Xiangtan, an ancient city of Hunan which is a remarkable place producing outstanding people, such as Hu Anguo, Hu Hong, Liu Qi, Zeng Guofan, Mao Zedong, Qi Baishi, Li Jinxi and Huang Gonglue etc., who changed Chinese modern history. The university culture has its own heritage. The Research of Mao Zedong's Ideology and that of Hu-Xiang Culture and excellent persons are specialties of Xiangtan University.
  Accompanied by the frequent communications with foreign countries, international exchanges, joint education programs and cooperative research in science and humanities are growing rapidly. At present, the university has established partner relationships with over 30 universities in more than 20 countries of Asia, Europe, North America and Australia.