Institute of Operational Research and Control Theory (IORCT) was established in 2007, affiliated with School of Mathematics and Statistics, Lanzhou University, Prof. Zhang, Heping (member of SMS, LZU) is the director of IORC until now.

There are 9 researchers in IORCT including 1 research professor (Zhang, Heping), 3 associated research professors (Wang, Haiming, Xu, Shou-Jun and Zhou, Shan), 4 lectures (Yao, Haiyuan, He, Jinghua, Ye, Dong and Li, Xianyue), and 1 teaching assistant (Li, Qiuli). Since its foundation, the institute has been focused on graph theory, chemical graph theory, Combinatorial optimization and algorithms, especially in fields including matching theory, resonance theory, and correlated topics in Fullerene science, also topological descriptors and polynomials in nanosciences, etc.

Together with their efforts, researchers in IORCT have win totally 16 projects or award, which are onging or finished now, including one Key program of National natural Science Foundation of China presided by Prof. Zhang, Heping (joint with Nankai Univ. and Xiamen Univ.), 3 general programs of National natural Science Foundation of China presided by Prof. Zhang, Heping, 2 funds for young scholars National natural Science Foundation of China, presided by Zhang, Heping and Xu, Shou-Jun, respectively, 3 Tianyuan Sepcial funds, presided by Xu, Shou-Jun, Zhou, Shan and Li, Xianyue, repectivley, and other programs from the Ministry of Education of China and the Human Resource Ministry of China. There are over 100 publications, mainly published in Discrete Appl. Math., Discrete Math., SIAM in Discrete Math., J. Math. Chem., MATCH etc. (By May,7,2012)