It is located in Wuhan City, the capital of Hubei Province and "a thoroughfare to nine provinces" known in history. Enclosed with emerald tree-covered Lion Hill and fascinating waters on three sides, the campus is featured by its beautiful surroundings serves as an ideal place for education and scientific research. The university covers an area of 4.95 square kilometers.
Huazhong Agricultural University (HAU) has a long history of over one hundred years. Its predecessor, Huazhong Agricultural College (HAC), termed Hubei Agricultural College in 1940, was derived from Hubei Farming School (HFS) established in 1898 by Mr. Zhang Zhidong, Governor-General of Hu-Guang region. In 1952 when China’s high institutions were restructured HAC was founded, merging Agricultural College of Wuhan University with Hubei Agricultural College, Agricultural College of Henan University, Agricultural College of Nanchang University, Agricultural College of Guangxi University, Agricultural College of Zhongshan University and some departments of Hunan Agricultural College. HAC had its name changed to HAU in 1985.
HAU boasts a highly qualified teaching contingent of 1200 teachers, of which 205 are full professors, 333 associate professors. Thus, a contingent of fine quality teachers has been shaped representing all the necessary subjects. Moreover, embodied in the teachers' rank are academicians, one from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, three from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 5 “Scholars of Yangtze River”, 5 members of the Academic Degree Commission of the State Council, 116 doctorate advisors, 60 young and middle-aged state-level, province-level or ministry-level experts with remarkable contributions.
Zhong Qifa is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Science in Huazhong Agriculture University. He has served in a number of national and international advisory boards including the Oversight Committee of the McKnight Foundation’s International Program on Crop Science, the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Rockefeller Foundation’s International Program on Rice Biotechnology, and the Science Advisory Committee of the CGIAR’s Challenge Program. He served as the chairman of the Steering Committee of the Asian Rice Biotechnology Network. He also served in the editorial boards for a number of internationally reputable journals such as Science in China, Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Plant Breeding etc. He was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1999 and to the Third World Academy of Sciences in 2000.