Xiangtan University (XTU) is a comprehensive and national key university. The great man Mao Zedong initiated its establishment in 1958. On September 10 that year, Mao inscribed the name of the university, and bade university administrators to “do their best to make a success of it”. In 1974, the Central leaders including Deng Xiaoping and Li Xiannian approved to reconstruct the university. In 1978, it was identified by the State Council as one of the 16 national comprehensive key universities. In 1981, it became one of China’s first batch of higher educational institutions to award master’s degree. The Central Government leaders, including Hua Guofeng, Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, He Guoqiang, and Liu Yandong, have paid great attention to its development.