Abstract: In the eight years when the National Southwest Associated University (NSAU) operated in Kunming, Yunnan Province, the Student Autonomy Association went through four development stages: initial establishment, strength accumulation, rise and glory. It gradually became a student organization under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the main leading body of the patriotic democratic movement of the students of Kunming. The activities organized by the Association formed an important part of the job of NSAU: internally it assisted running the university and served study and life of the students and, externally, it spoke on behalf of all the students to uphold the image of the NSAU as a fortress of democracy. This was especially true after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937–45) when the Association made important contributions to the "against civil war and for democracy” rallies. The December 1st Movement, with the Association as the main leading organization, opened the prelude to the second-front struggle during the War of Liberation.

Key words: National Southwest Associated University (NSAU), Student Autonomy Association, history of development, value analysis