South China Normal University is an institution of higher education with a long history and a rich legacy. Originally known as Guangdong Provincial Xiangqin Normal College, South China Normal University (SCNU) was founded in 1933. In 1996, it became a member of “Project 211”, a national project aiming to establish 100 well acknowledged key universities and colleges in China. 2015 saw the co-construction of SCNU by Guangdong Provincial Government and Ministry of Education as well as its entry into Guangdong High-Level University Sponsoring Project. In 2017, SCNU became a member of National Sponsoring Project for World-Class Disciplines Construction. SCNU now boasts three campuses, namely Shipai Campus, University City Campus and Nanhai Campus, with a total school area of over two hundred hectares and a total building area of over one million square meters, housing a collection of 3.7 million books.

The discipline of Physics of SCNU has entered the national project of “World-class Disciplines Construction”. SCNU also boasts four state-level key disciplines：Educational Technology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Optics and Sports Humanities and Sociology, nine key disciplines of “Project 211”, twenty-three key disciplines in Guangdong Province. In the fourth round of discipline evaluation organized by Ministry of Education, four disciplines of SCNU, Psychology, Physical Education, Education and Marxism theory, ranked among the top 10% Chinese disciplines. Five disciplines, Chemistry, Engineering, Mathematics, Plant & Animal Science and Materials Science ranked top 1% in the World ESI. SCNU now has 87 undergraduate programs, 33 master's programs for the first-grade disciplines, over 200 master's programs, 18 master's programs for professionals, 19 doctoral programs for the first-grade disciplines, over 100 doctoral programs, 1 doctoral program for professionals and 17 postdoctoral research centers.

SCNU has been sticking to the goal of building itself into a teaching oriented research university. It has a good team of experts and scholars who are famous at home and abroad. There are 2030 teachers, among whom 1152 are with professor and associate professor title, 1227 master and doctoral supervisors, 1812 holders of master and doctoral degrees. Besides, SCNU boasts a number of strong research institutes and labs, including the National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, MOE Key laboratory of Laser Life Science, the Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, MOE Engineering Research Center of Materials and Technology for Electrochemical Energy Storage, MOE International Laboratory of Optical Information Technology, etc.. In addition, Guangdong Teachers' Training Center for Institutions of Higher Learning, Education Research Institute of Guangdong Province, and Guangdong network library are located at SCNU as well.

SCNU is active in international cultural and academic exchange, with its advantage of being close to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and its strength in teacher education. Links have been established with over 160 higher education institutions and scientific and research organizations at home and abroad. Substantial progress has been made in a wide range of cooperation projects involving talent introduction, quality teaching resources, talent training, academic research, joint education, international conference, the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language and so on. So far SCNU has established three Confucius Institutes with city of Coquitlam in British Columbia Canada, University of Reunion in France, and University of Latvia in the Republic of Latvia.

For over 80 years, the university changed its names and locations for several times, yet its good tradition was well kept and passed down from generation to generation. Imbued with Lingnan’s pioneering and pragmatic spirits, SCNU has developed a tradition of elegant simplicity and fostered a strong learning environment. Under the guidance of CPC and following socialist education strategy, the University strives to serve Guangdong, influence Hong Kong and Macao and open to the outside world. In its efforts to cultivate outstanding teachers, promote regional education development, lead teacher education in South China and provide talent support, intellectual support and cultural service for regional and national economic and social development, SCNU endeavors to establish itself as a comprehensive normal university with domestic fame and world popularity.