[10] Lingnan University has over 270 partners across more than 50 countries/regions facilitating international exchanges or participation in short-term summer or winter programmes for over 80% of undergraduates.

The university was originally founded in 1888 by Andrew Happer at the request of the American Presbyterian Mission in Canton with the goal of providing a non-denominational Christian education.

It moved to Macau, then a Portuguese colony, in 1900 to escape the repressive measures implemented by the ruling Qing dynasty of China.

[17][18] On the night of 24 December 2021, the university removed from campus a relief sculpture created by artist Chen Weiming and commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre.

Chen said that "it is a major regret", and that the university authorities "acted like a thief in the night" and "were very scared that the removal of the monuments would spark public outcry".