1958 Hengyang Medical College (HMC) was founded in Hengyang, a medium-sized city in the central China's Hunan Province.

1959 Hengyang Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (HIMM) was founded, bordered by HMC to the north.

1979 HIMM was renamed Hengyang Institute of Technology (HIT) .

1993 HIT was renamed Central South Institute of Technology (CSIT).

2000 The University was merged by HMC and CSIT (with English translation of its Chinese name as Nanhua Unviversity (NHU)).

2007 The University changed the English translation of its name from Nanhua University to University of South China (USC).