The fact that a university has the word "normal" in its title is a throwback to the early 20th Century. The only significance is that it means it is a state institution under the local or provincial government. However, in China, the naming of institutions does not always mean there are connections.

"A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name. Most such schools are now called teachers' colleges; however, in some places, the term normal school is still used.

Many famous state universities, such as the University of California, Los Angeles were founded as normal schools. In Canada, such institutions were typically assimilated by a university …."