The State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and Technology (AEET) has been established on the basis of integrating the core strengths of the existing “Hubei Electric Power Security and High Efficiency Key Lab”  and the existing “Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Fusion and Advanced Electromagnetic Technology” AEET will target closely the critical national interests on the scientific frontier and perform research in both fundamental theory and critical technology relating to advanced electromagnetic engineering and technology, under the guidance of the academic committee of the laboratory and the host institution—Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Research will be focused on major directions including “Theory and Method of Electromagnetic Characteristics Analysis”, “Technology of High Performance Electromagnetic Units”，and “Optimization and Control of Complex Electromagnetic Systems”. The Electrical Engineering discipline of Huazhong University of Science and Technology has been evaluated twice successively among the top 3of all electrical engineering disciplines in the nation, and has received funding as a key discipline from each period of the nation’s “211” and “985” schemes. AEET employs 70 staff, with 60 researchers, 2 administrators and 8 technicians. Among them are 2 Fellows of the Chinese Academy of Engineering,1 Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3 “Recruitment Program of Global Experts” professors, 2 “Recruitment Program of Global Youth Experts” professors,4“Changjiang” professors, and 2 “Changjiang” adjunct professors.

In two recent years, research funding for AEET reached RMB 200M, including RMB 100M from government. 70 programs are funded from sources including the National Key Sci. & Tech Special Fund, ITER Fund, 973 Fund, 863 Fund, Distinguished Young Researcher Fund and Major/Key Research Fund from the National Natural Science Foundation, as well as the National Sci. & Tech. Development Supporting Fund.

AEET scholars have published 618 papers with 273 cited by SCI and 362 cited by EI. Over the years AEET has achieved a series of domestically leading and internationally advanced results in the area of electromagnetic engineering and technology, including 8 national awards, 33 provincial awards and 210 patent grants. In the area of pulsed power, AEET has been selected as a key participant in a major national program. AEET owns a medium scale magnetic confinement nuclear fusion TOKAMAK installation which is one of only four in China and theonly one of its kind at a university. AEET continuously breaks domestic records of pulsed electromagnetic field strength, reaching 90.6T in 2013. Out of the large number of talents developed by this laboratory, 4 of them are Fellows of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Engineering. AEET students have also won one “100 Distinguished Ph.D. Theses” award, and three “100 Distinguished Ph.D. Theses” nominee awards.

Academic exchange and collaboration is always high on the laboratory’s agenda. During the last two years, AEET has organized 8 large scale conferences and symposiums, with over 400 expert participants from home and abroad. 13 well-known scholars were hired to be consulting, guest, or adjunct professors. 57 distinguished scholars visited the laboratory conducting lectures and academic exchange. AEET has established long term stable relations with prestigious overseas universities and institutions with substantial research collaborations, increasing the influence of the laboratory in the international community.

Over the years AEET has created a solid infrastructure including: 15,500 m² research building; large scale experimental facilities for fusion and plasma, pulsed power, and power system dynamics simulation with a total area exceeding 10,000 m² and a total value of equipment reaching RMB87.23M. AEET has also formulated a policy governing accesses for external academicians. AEET has raised research funds of RMB1M supporting 6 programs open for external applications in the last year. The accumulated opening time of the facility for external usage has reached 8,300 hrs. for large scale experimentation.

AEET will target critical needs for national economic growth, scientific and technological research, as well as academic frontiers in electromagnetic science and technology. It will have as its primary aim performing fundamental research, challenging higher electromagnetic parameters, and exploring new applications, and in addition building the laboratory into a hub of innovation of global reputation, a base for talent development and a pool for talent gathering, and a world-class platform for academic exchange and research collaboration.