Established in 1982 under College of Sciences at National Central University, the Institute of Optical Sciences (IOS) is the second oldest institutions dedicated to the education and research on optical sciences and is consistently among the best within the nation. The first Master of Science degree was awarded in 1984 and the Ph.D. program in IOS was established in 1987. The first Ph.D. degree was awarded in 1990.As of 2011, a total of 979 M.S. and 136 Ph.D. degrees have been awarded, making IOS/DOP one of the largest producers of optics/photonics engineers and scientists in the country. Since established, IOS has been devoting to the education, research, and technology developments, thus holding a high reputation in both academic research and industrial collaborations in the nation.

With the increasing demands for high-level human capital from the joint optics/photonics/optoelectronic industry fostered by the state-driven “Two-Trillion-for-Twin-Star” plan, the Department of Optics and Photonics (DOP) was established in 2006 and the first Bachelor of Science degree was awarded in 2010. Before the official launch of the undergraduate program, the preparatory director of the department, Prof. Cheng-Chung Lee initiated the acquisition of approximately US$9 millions from Dr. Bruce Cheng, the founder of Delta Electronics Inc. in 2005 for a new building that DOP will call it a home. The new building was opened in Dec. 2010 and is named after Mr. Kwoh-Ting Lee, a Chinese economist and statesman best known as the “Father of Taiwan's Economic Miracle”. This new home to DOP presents a big relief for a long-term issue of limited space as the IOS grows over the years and a necessary infrastructure for the department to continue to grow and thrive. With all the effort from the faculty and students, DOP at National Central University is determined to keep moving forward, taking the lead in inter-disciplinary research to reshape our lives in the future.