Founded in 1952, the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) focuses on the study of luminescence, applied optics, optical engineering, and precision mechanics and instrumentation. There are currently 2,578 faculty and staff members, including three academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 343 research professors and 739 associate research professors.

The hard work of brilliant scientists such as WANG Daheng and XU Xurong has seen CIOMP develop more than a dozen “First of China” advanced instruments, including China’s first ruby laser and its first large theodolite, etc. CIOMP has helped to set up more than 10 research institutes, colleges, and enterprises, sending 2,800 researchers to work in other national institutions in the last 70 years. Among these people, 27 have already been elected academicians of CAS or the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Jiang Zhuying, an outstanding member of the CIOMP research team, was made a model Chinese intellectual for giving his life to his work. His story has inspired many young science workers. 

CIOMP is a key base for CAS graduate student education. It offers nine master's degree programs and seven doctoral degree programs. Currently, CIOMP has around 1,200 graduate students.

CIOMP has formulated an integrated ‘Research, Industry, and Education’ strategy, and is constantly working on realizing its full potential. It hosts an International Optoelectronic Innovation Cluster, 6 State Key Laboratories and research centers, 5 CAS Key Laboratories, and 2 International Joint Laboratories. In the Changchun Optoelectronics Industrial Park, there are more than 30 high-tech companies set up with investment support from CIOMP whose total assets now have reached 403 million USD. Serving almost 100 companies, the national optoelectronic industry incubator provides an important public service platform for technology transfer in Jilin Province.

In CIOMP, we firmly believe that open minds lead to innovations. We are engaged in close academic cooperation and communication with many scientific institutes and universities at home and abroad, and have hosted many high-level international academic conferences, such as the 20th Congress of the International Commission for Optics. CIOMP also participates in many international collaborative projects such the Thirty Meter Telescope Project.

Partnering with Nature Publishing Group, CIOMP launched the international English language journal Light: Science & Applications in 2012. The journal reached a new milestone with a 2021 Impact Factor of 17.782 – making it one of the top three most competitive Optics journal in the world.

CIOMP has made great contributions to China's economic development and social progress, and is involved in many important national projects, including the manned space projects. In the future, CIOMP will continue to focus on optoelectronic technology and its application in the engineering and fabrication of precision instruments, in order to aid the development of related industries and our country as a whole, as well as pushing the boundaries of science and discovery for all mankind.