The Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP), founded in June 1978, is a professional institute focusing on fundamental research of theoretical physics. Mr. Huan-Wu Peng is the founding director, and other former directors are Guang-Zhao Zhou, Bai-Lin Hao, Zhao-Bing Su, Zhong-Can OuYang and Yue-Liang Wu.
It is among the first group of institutes that opened to domestic and international scholars, one of the first twelve institutions selected from more than a hundred institutes at CAS to implement Pilot Project of the Knowledge Innovation Program (PPKIP) in 1998, and one of the first four institutions at CAS selected to be assessed internationally in 2004.
In 2006, the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics China (KITPC), as an international exchange and cooperation platform, was established at ITP. It is one of the 12 (17 now) network members of the Kavli Institutes all over the world.
In 2011, the State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics (SKLTP) was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology to be set up at ITP.
With 35 years’ effort, ITP has become a top institute engaged in research on theoretical physics in China.
ITP now has 59 staff with 32 research fellows, including 7 Members of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)(4 of them are also Members of The World Academy of Sciences), and 13 winners of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Besides, there are about 15 postdoctoral fellows and 120 graduate students.
ITP consists of two Divisions. Division I conducts research in the areas of elementary particle physics, quantum field theory, gravitation and string theory, astrophysics and cosmology, unification theory, mathematic physics and simulation physics. Division II studies non-equilibrium statistic physics, condensed matter physics, nonlinear theory, computational physics, theoretical biological physics, atom-molecule and quantum interference theory, nuclear physics.
Based on the traditional strengths and comparative advantages of ITP as well as the new trends of scientific developments, ITP is now concentrating on the following 4 research fields: (1) Quantum Field Theory and Microscopic Structure of Matter; (2) String Theory, Gravity and Cosmology; (3) Statistical Physics and Theoretical Biophysics; (4) Condensed Matter Physics and Quantum Physics.
So far ITP has won eight national natural science awards of class II, fourteen academy and ministry awards. Four people have been awarded Ho Leung Ho Lee science and technology award, and some other individual prizes like ISI Citation Classic Awards.
From 2007 to 2012, ITP published 1427 papers which are included in ISI Science Citation Index according to the Documentation and Information Center of CAS, including 650 papers published in journals with impact factor larger than 4.
As one of the first “open” institutes, ITP has been “open” by hosting active research scientists from all over the country to carry out joint programs and develop collaborations.
With the establishment of the KITPC and the SKLTP, this kind of openness is considerably extended to an international level. Every year over 200 guest scientists from about forty universities and institutes visit ITP and conduct joint research with ITP research faculties. Over 100 workshops, forums on frontiers of science, and interdisciplinary colloquiums and several international conferences, and about 7 KITPC programs are organized. Over 500 scientists from all over the world are attracted to KITPC programs every year.
The key ingredients for the future development of ITP is to attract talented young scientists to join the research team; to nurture healthy and stimulating scientific environment; to encourage friendly competition, fruitful collaborations and free discussions; to take full advantage of scientific exchange and cooperation with both homeland and overseas scientists, especially in the emergent interdisciplinary areas. The mission of ITP is to become a center of excellence in research, to act as a platform for productive scientific exchange at the most advanced international level, to build up a basis for fostering and bringing up young talents, so as to play a crucial role in promoting fundamental physics research in China and make important contributions to science in the world scale.
Address: Zhong Guan Cun East Street 55 #, P. O. Box 2735, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
Phone: 86-10-62555058
Fax: 86-10-62562587
Scientific Office,
Contact person: Dr.Ci Zhuang
Phone: 86-10-62555058
Fax: 86-10-62562587
Director: Prof. Rong-Gen Cai
