As the distinguished scholar who has led the world renowned Peking University as its President for nearly ten years, and served as Vice-President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for eleven years, Professor Xu Zhi Hong is an academician of the Third World Academy of Sciences, academician of CAS, and Professor of the College of Life Sciences, Peking University.

Professor Xu graduated from the Department of Biology, Peking University in 1965 with major in Botany. He was recruited into the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (SIPPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) as a graduate student and, after graduation, began his academic career therein. He became a visiting scholar at the John Innes Institute and Nottingham University in the UK from 1979 to 1981. Since 1983, Professor Xu was first appointed Deputy Director and then Director of the SIPPE and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics. From October 1992 to February 2003, he served as Vice-President of C.A.S., and from November 1999 to November 2008, as President of Peking University. He was elected academician of the Third World Academy of Sciences in 1995, and in October 1997, he was appointed as academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Xu has long been committed to research in plant development, plant cell culture and genetic manipulation, and plant biotechnology. He has published more than 240 papers and reviews in these areas.

Currently, Professor Xu is a Professor in the College of Life Sciences at Peking University, a Research Fellow in the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (SIPPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chairman of UNESCO’s Chinese National Committee of Man and Biosphere, Chairman of the Committee for the Enforcement of Scientific Morality, and member of the Chinese National Consultative Committee on Education. Positions that Professor Xu has formerly held include Chairman of the International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology, President of the Chinese Society of Plant Biology, President of the Chinese Society of Cell Biology, Vice President of the Botanical Society of China, and Vice President of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology.

Professor Xu has been engaging actively in social affairs as a member of the 10th and 11th National People’s Congress. He has contributed devotedly comments and recommendations on education to the National People’s Congress and other relevant governmental organizations, which have greatly advanced the healthy development of the society.

Professor Xu has won many awards including the First and Third classes in National Natural Science Award of China. In 1988, he was selected as one of the National-level Mid-aged and Young Experts with Extraordinary Contributions. In 1991 he was elected as one of the National Talents who returned to china after studying abroad and have made remarkable contributions. He has been awarded Honorary Doctoral Degrees successively by the De Montfort University, the University of Nottingham, the University of Edinburgh and the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, the City University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, Waseda University, Japan, McGill University, Canada, Université de Montréal, Canada, and the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Professor Xu Zhi Hong is a man of knowledge who has been productive and made significant contributions to his research areas. He has also devoted tremendous passion into leading the educational cause of China and has built the noble image of a scholar.