The Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences is a new research unit jointly formed by Shandong Province and Peking University. Located in the Xiashan Ecological and Economic Development Zone of Weifang City, the institute covers an area 200,000 square meters with a total building area of 71,000 square meters. The institute was completed and put into use in July 2021, with a total investment of nearly 700 million yuan. It is headed by Dr. Xingwang Deng, member of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
The research institute focuses on the forefront research of agriculture science and technology. It has established six major technology support platforms, including crop genetics and germplasm innovation, as well as 38 independent research groups. The institute is equipped with over 4,000 advanced instruments and devices, including a set of cryo-electron microscopes, 6 mass spectrometry, and confocal microscopes. It also possesses a 5,000-square-meter environment-controlled greenhouse, a 10,000-square-meter plastic house, and over 1,000 acres of experimental fields. The institute has attracted more than 700 research personnel.

With a focus on wheat hybrid breeding technology, the institute aims to address the “chip” issue of the world’s largest staple food, providing technological support for the country’s food security. Furthermore, it targets meeting the needs of people’s healthy and quality living by focusing on new agricultural formats, generating new fruit and vegetable varieties, and addressing key issues in China’s seed development. In line with the strategic development of the “three models,” the institute explores new models and approaches that promote mutual development between agricultural science and technology and rural revitalization, providing intellectual support for the high-quality development of agricultural economy in Weifang, Shandong, and the entire nation.
Building on its cooperation with Tel Aviv University in Israel, the institute also aims to enhance collaboration with renowned universities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries for joint talent development. It strives to become a domestic agricultural research hub within five years and an internationally leading research institute within ten years.