私立华联学院于1990年创立，是由华南师范大学、华南理工大学、暨南大学、广东技术师范大学（原广东民族学院）等广州地区部分普通高校的一批离退休教授联合创办。1994年经广东省政府批准、教育部备案，成为全国第一批、广东第一家具有学历教育招生资格的民办普通高等专科学校，同年参加全国高考统一招生。学院在招生资格、贫困学生助学贷款、优秀学生获国家奖学金以及学历等方面，与公办普通高等院校享有同等待遇，毕业生的学历文凭由广东省教育厅监制，统一编号，并实行电子注册。

Private Hualian College was founded in 1990 by a group of retired professors from several universities in Guangzhou, including South China Normal University, South China University of Technology, Jinan University, and Guangdong University of Technology (formerly Guangdong Institute for Nationalities). Approved by the Guangdong Provincial Government and registered with the Ministry of Education in 1994, it became one of the first private ordinary colleges with academic education enrollment qualifications in China and the first in Guangdong Province. In the same year, it participated in the national college entrance examination for unified enrollment. The college enjoys the same treatment as public colleges and universities in terms of enrollment qualifications, student loans for poor students, national scholarships for outstanding students, and academic qualifications. The academic diplomas of graduates are supervised by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, uniformly numbered, and electronically registered.

学院现有在校学生8000人，开设42个专业，并设有专事成人高等学历教育的继续教育学院，与华南师范大学、广东工业大学、深圳大学等高校合办相沟通自考本科学历教育。2009年取得招收外国留学生资格，2014年成立广东省私立华联职业培训学院，已为近万人次提供培训服务。近10年来毕业生平均就业率超96%，累计培养7.6万余名应用型人才。学院坚持“以德为先，以技能为上”宗旨，贯彻“立志、修身、博学、报国”教育理念，开展社会实践、学陶师陶及社团活动（现有50多个社团，参与率超95%），致力于提升学生综合素质。校区位于广州市天河区，交通便利，生活设施完善。

The college currently has 8,000 students and offers 42 majors. It also has a Continuing Education College specializing in adult higher education and collaborates with South China Normal University, Guangdong University of Technology, Shenzhen University and other institutions to provide self-taught undergraduate education. In 2009, it obtained the qualification to enroll international students, and in 2014, it established the Guangdong Private Hualian Vocational Training College, which has provided training services to nearly 10,000 people. Over the past 10 years, the average employment rate of graduates has exceeded 96%, with a total of more than 76,000 applied talents trained. Adhering to the tenet of "morality first, skills foremost" and the educational philosophy of "Aspiration, Self-cultivation, Erudition, and Serving the Country", the college carries out social practice activities, studies on Tao Xingzhi's educational thoughts, and club activities (with over 50 clubs and a participation rate of over 95%) to enhance students' comprehensive quality. The campus is located in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, with convenient transportation and complete living facilities.