The Metaverse Research Institute of Nanchang University is a university-level independent research institution approved by Nanchang University in January 2022. It operates several research laboratories, including the Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Virtual Reality and the National-level Talent Workstation for Smart Energy Internet. The institute also contributes to the development of a national engineering research center and has established or is in the process of establishing several joint laboratories with domestic and international universities and leading enterprises.

Integrating disciplines such as science, engineering, and medicine, the institute focuses on pioneering research and application of cutting-edge technologies in the metaverse, including virtual reality, artificial intelligence, digital twins, big data, and blockchain.Through innovation-driven approaches and application-oriented efforts, it aims to support the development of new quality productive forces, the industry chains of the future industries metaverse, digital economy and electronic information in Jiangxi Province and China at large.

Led by Dean Professor Weidong Min, a national-level talent, the institute comprises a provincial-level scientific research innovation team and many national and provincial-level talents. It supports the development of national first-class disciplines and majors at Nanchang University, such as Computer Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with fields like medicine, materials, and food science, the institute contributes to Nanchang University’s mission of becoming a world-class university.

The metaverse is an emerging and rapidly growing sunrise industry. The year 2021 is often referred to as the "first year of the metaverse". In 2024, the metaverse was included in the ”Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Innovative Development of Future Industries” jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and six other departments. The metaverse has broad industrial applications, including future industry sectors such as the industrial metaverse, the intelligent manufacturing metaverse, and the smart medicine and healthcare metaverse.

The institute’s main research areas include near-eye display technology and devices, advanced VR modeling and rendering technology, large models and AI algorithm engines, digital twins and smart mobile devices, natural interaction and control devices, and intelligent diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation systems and equipments.