Professor Tianrong Miao, one of the founders of the Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry of WMU, was a pioneer in the research of ophthalmic optics in China back in the 1950s. Despite the non-ideal research environment and the lack of equipment, Prof. Miao managed to make a breakthrough and designed the logarithmic visual acuity chart. The increase rate of 10√10 that he found was proved to be the “Golden Standard” in vision measurement. Today, the increase rate along with the Five-Point Recording Method that invented by Prof. Miao, have not only become the national compulsory standard for visual measurement in China, but also gained recognition worldwide. After decades of development, today we are taking a leading role in multiple directions including education, research, medical care and industrial translation. The spirit of aiming at top-notch innovation and making the impossible possible has become our legacy to inherit among generations.

Aiming at providing patients with high quality eye care in a whole-process, comprehensive and systematic manner, Eye Hospital of WMU designed and implemented multiple innovative clinical practices. For example, it opened Eye General Clinics, which enables hierarchical diagnosis within the hospital. Patients can receive preventive services, basic treatment and efficient in-hospital referral. Moreover, a team diagnosis and treatment model is introduced into subspecialties practice, by which the medical resources are well distributed whilst the efficacy is balanced with quality assurance. Currently, there are 24 subspecialties set up in Eye Hospital of WMU, covering areas from ocular diseases treatment to low vision rehabilitation. It upgraded the concept of eye care from restoring sight to maintaining visual acuity with comfort.

Wenzhou Medical University takes a leading role in higher education and professional training of ophthalmology and optometry in China. Aiming at cultivating well-rounded eye care providers, it organically integrated ophthalmology and optometry and developed a comprehensive curriculum as well as a novel training model

In 1992, the School of Ophthalmology and Optometry of WMU was approved by the Ministry of Health to create the Research Center of Optometry, which marks the recognition for WMU’s research work in the field of visual science from the state level. After becoming the National Engineering Research Center in 2013, the State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science in 2017, and the National Clinical Medical Research Center in 2019, it is the only institute nationwide processing all three national platforms. These three platforms focus on different research areas including basic research, clinical research, translational research, nearly covering the whole industrial chain.

Eye Hospital of WMU also attaches great importance to social responsibilities. It is the official partner of Special Olympics and runs the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Special Olympics Sports Health Center in Wenzhou. In 2012, it commenced a “Brightness Action” project. Each year, a team of professional specialists go to Sichuan-Tibetan Plateau conducting ocular diseases screening and surgeries and training local practitioners as well as students. This project has been continued for 10 consecutive years benefiting hundreds of thousands of patients and has trained dozens of eye doctors and students. Today, the Brightness Action has become an international project. The medical team conducted the first cataract phacoemulsification in the history of Burkina Faso.