Located in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, which is renowned as a historical and cultural city with the reputation of "a land of the Three Kingdoms, the hometown of Bao Zheng, the first prefecture of the Yangtze-Huaihe region, and an important thoroughfare between Wu and Chu", Anhui University (AU) is among the first batch of universities to be included in the national "Double First-Class" and "Project 211" initiatives. It is a university jointly constructed by the People's Government of Anhui Province and the Ministry of Education, and is a key comprehensive university under the jurisdiction of Anhui Province.

Founded in 1928 in Anqing, which was the provincial capital at that time, Anhui University pioneered modern higher education in Anhui, continuing the essence of the educational culture rooted in the Yangtze-Huaihe region. After several relocations, it was relocated to Hefei in 1956. It also underwent several name changes, and on September 16, 1958, Chairman Mao Zedong personally inscribed the school name "Anhui University", which was designated as the school's anniversary day. As an institution of higher learning with a red revolutionary tradition, Anhui University has been committed to national rejuvenation for nearly a century, adhering to the educational ideal of "cultivating a thriving culture for the prosperity of the nation" and upholding the school motto of "Sincerity, Fortitude, Erudition, and Practicality".