Peking University holds a longhistory of agricultural researchand education. In 1905, as theImperial University of Peking(Jing Shi Da Xue Tang, “ 京师大学堂”), PKU established itsCollege of Agriculture.In October 1946, Peking University resumed operations in Peiping (now Beijing) and re-established the College of Agriculture at the original site of the former Peiping University’s College of Agriculture. Professor Dafu Yu was appointed as the Dean. Back then, the College of Agriculture at PKU consisted of ten departments, attracted a significant number of leading scholars in the field and established a relatively comprehensive institutional framework, making it the largest, most comprehensive, and best-staffed agricultural college in the country at its time, thus earning it the distinction of being the leading agricultural institution nationwide.
In 1949, the three Colleges of Agriculture at Peking University, Tsinghua University and North China University merged to found Beijing Agricultural University (now China Agricultural University). Yet Peking University’s research in agriculture did not cease; it continued to conduct extensive research in various relevant fields such as applied chemistry, biotechnology and applied microbiology, educational science, economics, and big data science.
With China’s further social and economic development, the importance of food security and rural revitalization has become increasingly prominent. Under this context, PKU decided to establish the School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences (preparatory) in October 2014 so as to fulfil the national demand of developing China’s advanced agriculture with Peking University’s disciplinary strengths, conduct advanced, top-notch and world-leading studies on cutting-edge agricultural sciences, and nurture skilled professionals in the field.
On December 13, 2017, SAAS-PKU officially completed its preparatory phase and was formally established. Academician Zhihong Xu was appointed as its founding Dean. Since 2016, the SAAS-PKU has been admitting doctoral students in “Agricultural Economics and Management” and “Biotechnology” nationwide.The School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Peking University (SAAS-PKU) is an independent academic and research entity under PKU that is committed to fulfilling China’s major demands with the comprehensive disciplinary strengths of Peking University to conduct advanced, top-notch, and world-leading studies on cutting-edge agricultural sciences and cultivate the best talents in the field. Our primary focus areas include the interdisciplinary teaching and research of “Molecular Agrobiology”, “Agricultural and Development Economics”, “Intelligent Agriculture”, and “Food Safety & Health”. The SAAS-PKU is dedicated to tackling significant scientific issues and bottleneck challenges faced in developing modern agricultural industries. And we aim to establish a high-end talent cultivation base that excels in fundamental theories, industrial applications, and strategic policies, providing fundamental theories, core technologies, key talents, and policy consultation for the development of China’s new countryside.
The SAAS-PKU presently operates with four academic departments:
Molecular Agrobiology, Agricultural and Development Economics, Intelligent Agriculture, and Food Safety & Health.
