# Central South University

> national university of China

**Wikidata**: [Q5061828](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5061828)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_South_University)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/central-south-university

## Summary
Central South University (CSU) is a national university located in Changsha, People's Republic of China. Established in its current form on April 29, 2000, it is a vice-ministerial level higher education institution directly under the Ministry of Education. The university is affiliated with prestigious national initiatives including Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First Class University Plan.

## Key Facts
- **Location:** Changsha, People's Republic of China (Coordinates: 28.173°N, 112.925°E).
- **Inception:** April 29, 2000.
- **Classification:** A national public university; a vice-ministerial level institution directly under the Ministry of Education.
- **Prestige Networks:** Member of Project 985, Project 211, the Double First Class University Plan, and Plan 111.
- **Ranking:** Ranked 25th in the 2024 Best Chinese Universities Ranking; previously ranked 21st in 2019.
- **Predecessors:** Replaced Central South University of Technology and Changshang Railroad College.
- **Website:** http://www.csu.edu.cn/
- **Identifiers:** GRID ID: grid.216417.7; ROR ID: 00f1zfq44; ISNI: 0000000103797164.

## FAQs
### Q: Where is Central South University located?
A: Central South University is located in the city of Changsha in the People's Republic of China.

### Q: When was Central South University founded?
A: While it has historical predecessors, the university was established in its current entity form on April 29, 2000.

### Q: What is the academic standing of Central South University?
A: It is a prestigious institution affiliated with the Ministry of Education and participates in elite national programs such as Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First Class University Plan. It was ranked 25th nationally in the 2024 Best Chinese Universities Ranking.

## Why It Matters
Central South University holds a critical position in the Chinese higher education landscape as a vice-ministerial level institution. Its inclusion in "Project 985" and "Project 211"—initiatives aimed at cultivating world-class universities—marks it as one of the premier academic and research institutions in the country. The university serves as a major hub for talent and advanced research, evidenced by its consistent placement in the top tier of the Best Chinese Universities Rankings (fluctuating between ranks 21 and 28 over the last decade). Its direct administration by the Ministry of Education underscores its national significance. Furthermore, its formation through the consolidation of predecessors like the Central South University of Technology allowed it to consolidate resources and academic strengths, playing a pivotal role in the regional and national educational infrastructure.

## Notable For
- **Elite Status:** Being a "Double First Class" university and a member of Project 985 and Project 211.
- **National Ranking:** Consistently ranking within the top 30 universities in China (specifically ranked 25th in 2024) according to the Best Chinese Universities Ranking.
- **Governance:** Operating as a vice-ministerial level institution, placing it high in the administrative hierarchy of Chinese academia.
- **Academic Integration:** Formed by the merger of specialized institutions, including the Central South University of Technology.
- **Global Identifiers:** Maintaining a strong presence in global academic databases with identifiers for ROR, GRID, and ISNI.

## Body

### Identity and Classification
Central South University (CSU) functions as a national university and a higher education institution directly under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. It holds the specific administrative classification of a vice-ministerial level university. The university is located in Changsha, China, with geographical coordinates at 28.173° latitude and 112.925° longitude.

### History and Formation
The modern entity of Central South University was established on April 29, 2000. This formation involved the replacement or consolidation of previous institutions, notably the Central South University of Technology (also known historically as Zhongnan-Gongye-Daxue) and Changshang Railroad College. Historical aliases associated with the institution include 中南工业大学, 中南矿冶学院, and 长沙铁道学院.

### Affiliations and Memberships
CSU is integrated into China's most prestigious academic frameworks. It is a member of:
- **Double First Class University Plan**
- **Plan 111** (a program to invite foreign experts)
- **Project 985**
- **Project 211**

The university operates under the affiliation of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.

### Rankings and Performance
According to the Best Chinese Universities Ranking, Central South University has maintained a strong national position over the last decade:
- **2024:** 25th
- **2023:** 23rd
- **2019:** 21st (highest recorded rank in the provided data)
- **2015:** 28th

### Technical and Academic Identifiers
The university is indexed in numerous international and national databases:
- **Unified Social Credit ID:** 12100000448805122D
- **Chinese School ID:** 4143010533
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** no2005027037
- **Wikidata/Freebase ID:** /m/08lb7b

The university's library and authentication services utilize a Shibboleth API endpoint (https://idplib.csu.edu.cn/idp/shibboleth).

### Affiliated Personnel
The knowledge base associates several academic figures with the university:
- **Guojun Wang:** A researcher and computer scientist born in 1970.
- **Wenhao Luo:** An academic and researcher specializing in computer science.

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-01-10
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. Google Knowledge Graph
4. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2024)
5. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2023)
6. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2015)
7. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2016)
8. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2017)
9. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2018)
10. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2019)
11. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2020)
12. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2021)
13. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/bcur/2022)
14. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/arwu/2024)
15. [Source](https://www.shanghairanking.cn/rankings/arwu/2023)
16. [Source](https://www.qschina.cn/en/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2024)
17. [Source](https://www.qschina.cn/en/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2023)
18. [Source](https://www.qschina.cn/en/universities/central-south-university)
19. GRID Release 2015-12-14
20. GRID Release 2016-12-06
21. Quora
22. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
23. [Source](https://orcid.org/signin)
24. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
25. Credit China
26. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
27. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)