The School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering now has four teaching institutions, the Department of Physics, the Department of Optoelectronic Engineering, the Physics Teaching and Research Center of University and the Physics Experimental Center; and there are scientific research institutions such as the Institute of Physics Education, the Basic Physics Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Hubei Province, the Central and Local Joint Construction of Optoelectronic Technology Characteristic Laboratory, the Research Center for Materials Physics and Devices of Yangtze University, and the Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Photonic Materials and Devices of Yangtze Universityy; The total value of teaching and research instruments and equipments is about 80 million yuan.
Adhering to the guidance of Xi Jinping’s thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the school implements the fundamental task of cultivating people with moral character, rooted in the hinterland of E’nan region and Jianghan Plain, emphasizes the cultivation of excellent teachers in basic physics education, continuously promotes the cooperation between industry, academia and research with optoelectronic hi-tech enterprises, and focuses on the cutting-edge quantum science and technology, so as to improve the scientific and technological innovation capability and the quality of teachers’ cultivation in basic physics education. There are three undergraduate majors in Physics, Optoelectronic Information Science and Engineering and Quantum Information Science, among which Physics is a national first-class undergraduate major, selected by Jingchu Outstanding Teacher Programme of Hubei Province and passed the Accreditation of Teacher Education Program; Optoelectronic Information Science and Engineering is a first-class undergraduate major in Hubei Province; and Quantum Information Science, focusing on the cutting-edge scientific and technological fields, such as quantum information and quantum computation, is an emerging undergraduate major. The school hosts one national first-class undergraduate course, five first-class undergraduate courses in Hubei Province, and one model ideological and political education demonstration courses in Hubei Province. The school has the right to confer master’s degree on Physics and Optical Engineering, and Physics is a key discipline in Hubei Province. There are two professional degree postgraduates enrolled in the discipline of Teaching (Physics) and Electronic Information, and two provincial-level postgraduate workstations, namely, the postgraduate workstation of Wuhan Engineering Science and Technology Institute and the postgraduate workstation of Hubei Wufang Optoelectronics Technology Company Limited.
There are more than 1360 full-time undergraduates and postgraduates in the school; 64 full-time teachers, including 20 professors, 34 associate professors, 2 doctoral supervisors, 48 master’s supervisors; 56 teachers with doctoral degrees, accounting for 87.5%. There are one expert receiving the special allowances from the State Council, one Chutian Distinguished Professor of Hubei Province, one young and middle-aged expert of Hubei Province who has made outstanding contributions, one belonging to the New Century High-level Talents Program in Hubei Province, and one person of “Young Talent Development Program” in Hubei Province, seven Chutian Scholar in Hubei Province, one from the Teaching Masters Programme in Hubei Province.
In the past five years, teachers of the school have published 3 monographs, 2 textbooks and 495 SCI papers, including 28 ESI highly cited papers and 8 ESI hot papers, and their representative achievements have been widely recognized by domestic and foreign counterparts. During the recent five years, the school has won 4 provincial and ministerial scientific research awards over recent five years, including the Second Prize of Natural Science of Science and Technology Award in Hubei Province, and 1 Silver Prize of the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva; 1 National Teaching Achievement Award and 4 Provincial Teaching Achievement Awards; 27 authorized invention patents. Teachers of the school have undertaken 33 provincial and ministerial-level vertical scientific research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China and 57 horizontal scientific research projects with a total funding of 37.82 million yuan.
The school keeps the motto of“Investigation Things to Seek Truth, Study Extensively to Persevere Practice” and takes “Facing the market, Adapting to the demand, Consolidating the foundation and Strengthening the ability” as the guidance, constantly adjusting the professional structure and innovating the talent cultivation mode. In recent years, the college has carried out industry-university-research co-operation with many enterprises to train and transport more than 100 skilled personnel for the enterprises, such as the State Grid, Shanghai Lanhe Science and Technology Company, Wuhan Guangzhi Technology Company, Wuhan Raycus Technologies Company Limited, Shenzhen JPT Optoelectronics Company Limited, Wufang Optoelectronics Company, Hubei Feilihua Quartz Glass Company Limited. And the total funding for the new school-enterprise joint technological research projects reached more than 17 million yuan. The school attaches great importance to the cultivation of students’ vocational skills and innovative practical ability.
In the past five years, the students of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering have been approved 91 programs of College Students’ Innovative Entrepreneurial Training Plan, more than 20 scientific research awards for college students at provincial level or above, 6 national invention patents and more than 20 utility model patents; 30 national awards and 133 provincial awards in academic competitions. The major awards are as follows: First Prize of the 9th National University Students’ Opt-Sci-Tech Competition in 2021; Gold Award in Hubei Province, and Bronze Award of the National Finals of the 8th China College Students’ “Internet +” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in 2022, and Silver Award of Hubei “Challenge Cup” College Students’ Entrepreneurship Programme Competition; First Prize of Hubei “Challenge Cup” College Students’ Entrepreneurship Programme Competition in 2023; First Prize of China Undergraduate Physics Experiment Competition (CUPEC) in 2024.
At present, the School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering is moving towards the goal of building a school with characteristics of holding “basic theory advantages and optoelectronic application highlights”.
