In 1952, Wang established the Changchun Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (originally named the Institute of Instrumentation) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Changchun.[1][9] He is also considered the founder of Changchun University of Science and Technology, a spinoff of the institute.[3] He worked at the institute from 1952 to 1983, and served several times as its president.[6] At the institute, he made a number of inventions and developed China's first electronic microscope and laser.[4] Under his leadership, the Changchun Institute played a crucial role in the development of strategic weapons, developing high-precision optics for missile guidance systems.