HUST is located in Wuhan, a famous city in the middle reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze River). It nestles beautifully within the shores of scenic East Lake, with the green Yujia Hill to its north. It has a 270-hectare campus, with a floor space of more than 650,000 square meters. Besides there are about 680,000 trees, which cover over 95% of the campus. Even the sun is shaded by the towering trees with luxuriant foliage.

HUST, formerly known as Central China Institute of Science and Technology, was founded in 1953 by a merger of colleges and departments of Wuhan University, Hunan University, Guangxi University, Nanchang University and Zhongshan University. It acquired Wuhan College of Mechanical Engineering in 1971. The university received the present name in 1987 with the authorization of the State Education Commission.

HUST is one of the first universities in China to establish a graduate school. The university now has a College of Adult Education. In terms of the arrangement of the disciplines and programs, the university has set up a College of Science, College of Mechanical Science and Engineering, College of Material Science and Engineering, College of Resource Science and Engineering, College of Information Science and Engineering, College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, College of Biological Science and Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, College of Economics, College of Business Administration, 10 colleges in total and 4 independent departments and a division. The university now provides 54 programs for bachelors, 76 programs for masters, 29 programs for doctorates and 4 programs for post doctorates, 2 research institutes (the Research Institute of Laser Technology and Engineering, Research Institute of Civil Engineering Design), 21 research centres, 27 institutes, 98 laboratories including 3 national leading laboratories, 2 national special laboratories, and 2 open laboratories under the State Education Commission, 7 school run factories and a number of school run enterprises. The university has its own press and printing factory. The press publishes over 100 kinds of books every year. It is one of the national bases designated by the State Education Commission for publishing and printing engineering books. The university published periodicals such as the HUST Journal, Studies of Higher Education Research, Higher Engineering Education in China, Language Research, Applied Mathematics, Physics Theory, Journal of Solid State Mechanism, New Architecture, and Science of Hydroelectric Power Resources, which are published to the readers at home and aborad. HUST has a modern library, with a floor space of 2,400 square meters, which can house 2,700 readers. The library has more than 1.6 million books and 8,424 kinds of magazines and journals.

HUST today has over 2,600 faculty members, of whom 334 are full professors (including 125 doctoral advisors), and 998 associate professors. It houses 14,490 full-time students, of whom more than 2,200 seek Master's and/or Doctorate degrees, and about 100 international students. It also enrols 3,700 evening and correspondents students. In more than 41 years, HUST has educated more than 70,000 graduate and undergraduate students.

Sticking to the policy of opening up to the world, HUST attaches great importance to the international educational, academic and cultural exchanges. Mutual cooperation agreements have been signed between HUST and near 50 universities, research organizations, and industrial companies abroad. In the past ten years, more than 1,000 faculty members have been invited by foreign universities and international conferences to give lectures, pay visits and attend scholarly conferences. In addition, HUST has sent approximately 1,000 persons to different countries for further study or to work towards degrees. Every year in recent years, at the invitation of HUST, more than 500 scholars from all over the world visit HUST to give lectures. More than 70 world renowned scholars have been appointed Honourary Professors, Honourary Doctors or Advisory Professors. Dozens of scholars and students from more than 30 countries have been to HUST to continue their studies or to seek degrees. In recent years, 4-6 international academic conferences are staged on the campus every year. More than 500 foreign experts and/or foreign language teachers from all over the world have been to HUST to work as long term or short term experts. In 1992, HUST was awarded as a model unit for the introduction of foreign experts to China.

HUST insists on the policy of combining effort of education, research and production, and active involvement in developing university affiliated enterprise for technology. It persists in scientific research programs to make the university both a centre for education and a centre for research. In the two national best text book evaluation contests, to HUST 17 prizes were awarded at the national level and 78 prizes at the provincial level. 22 text books written or compiled by the faculty members of HUST were awarded prizes issued by the state or relevant ministries. In the many of domestic and international competitions for undergraduates, such as competitions of mathematics, English, computer, achievement of science and technology, architecture design and journalism, the participants from HUST ranked in top positions.

HUST adheres to the principle of scientific research, focusing on economic construction. The faculty complete an average of 200 R & D items every year. Since 1985, the university has received over 1,400 items of scientific research including the National Science Foundation, "863" items, national key scientific and technological items, national defence foundation and those from various ministries. It was awarded over 700 best achievement prizes in science and technology, both at the provincial and state level. More than 15,000 theses by the faculty members have been published in major academic journals both at home and abroad. A combined advantage has been shaped up in the fields of laser technology, digital controlled machinery, machine tools, machinery manufacturing, design optimization and CAD, information storage, telecommunication, biological engineering, and coal combustion theory and technology. Ours holds an important position in these fields in this country.

The conditions and environment of the school have been improved substantially. HUST was the first which had passed evaluation of "Campus Culture Construction". As a result, HUST was elected the National Advanced Model for Green Spaces.

The achievements are something of the past. HUST is vigorously marching forward. In accordance with strategic thinking that education in China must be geared to the needs of modernization, to the needs of the world and to the needs of the future, HUST is at present promoting a policy of reform. We, HUST, firmly believe that through years of consistent efforts, ours will become a comprehensive research oriented university and eventually reach the goal of becoming one of the best universities in the world.