Wang Yilun was born in January 1949 in Jilin. He graduated in 1976 from the Department of Power Engineering at Harbin Institute of Technology and has been engaged in teaching and research work since graduation. Wang is now a professor in the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Harbin Engineering University and vice dean of the Department of Machine Design and Automation. Recently he was the chief editor for one textbook and co-editor for two others. He was awarded the second prize for technical progress by China State Shipbuilding Corporation, and has published more than ten papers.

Since 2001, he has been the chief lecturer for the course Hydraulics and Pneumatics Technology in the Machine Design and Automation programme at the OUC.