The two universities enjoy a long‑standing history of profound friendship and cooperation. In 1958, upon the founding of Changchun University of Science and Technology (formerly Changchun Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics), cooperation and exchanges were initiated with ITMO University of Russia (formerly the Leningrad Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics of the Soviet Union). Over the following decades of exchanges and collaboration, the scale of student mobility between the two institutions kept expanding, faculty‑led scientific research cooperation deepened continuously, and remarkable achievements have been made in joint talent training.

In 2015, the Sino‑foreign cooperative master’s program in Optical Engineering jointly run by the two universities was approved. Enrollment began in 2016. As Jilin Province’s sole master’s‑level Sino‑foreign cooperative education program, it filled the provincial gap in this field. In 2022, with the approval of the Ministry of Education of China, the two universities co‑established the CUST‑ITMO Joint Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics. Leveraging their complementary high‑quality disciplines, the institute carries out integrated undergraduate‑master‑doctor training, filling the gap of doctoral‑level Sino‑foreign cooperative education in Jilin Province.

Chronology of Inter‑university Exchanges

1958: Changchun Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics was founded. Professor Rusinov, Head of the Optical Instrument Department of the Leningrad Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics of the Soviet Union and winner of the Stalin Prize in Science, attended the founding ceremony to extend congratulations.

July 1991: A four‑member delegation led by Professor Prokopenko, Director of the Department of Engineering Physics of the St. Petersburg Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics of Russia, paid a visit.

October 1991: The institute signed a cooperation agreement with the St. Petersburg Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics of Russia.

October 1998: Professor Vasiliev, Rector of the St. Petersburg Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics of Russia, visited the university.

May 2000: President Jiang Huilin headed a delegation to attend the centenary celebration of the St. Petersburg Institute of Precision Mechanics and Optics of Russia.

September 2012: President Yu Huadong visited ITMO University (St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics). The two universities signed an agreement on joint training of high‑caliber talents under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization University.

April 2013: Rector Vasiliev of ITMO University visited CUST. The two parties signed agreements on student exchange and scientific research cooperation.

July 2014: Vice‑President Shi Guoquan visited ITMO University to negotiate the teaching syllabus and training scheme for joint postgraduate training in Optical Engineering.

June 2016: Vice‑President Zhang Hong visited ITMO University and renewed the agreement on joint master’s training.

September 2016: Rector Vasiliev of ITMO University visited CUST to accelerate the development of Sino‑foreign cooperative education.

November 2017: Luo Mengyan, Secretary of the University Party Committee, visited ITMO University of Russia and signed a supplementary agreement.

September 2018: Rector Vasiliev of ITMO University visited CUST and attended the university’s 60th‑anniversary celebration, reaching consensus on accelerating joint‑venture education.

October 2019: President Su Zhongmin visited ITMO University of Russia and renewed the cooperation agreement.

April 2022: The Ministry of Education of China officially approved the establishment of the CUST‑ITMO Joint Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics.