Chen Letian, male, native of Lechang, Guangdong Province, born in February 1974, is a dual PhD degree holder and Professor at South China Agricultural University. He is a doctoral advisor and recipient of the Ding Ying Scholar A position, and currently he is Member of the University Committee and Vice President of South China Agricultural University.

Prof. Chen Letian received his bachelor’s degree in 1996 and master’s degree in 2000 from Jinan University. He earned his first PhD degree from South China Agricultural University in 2003 and the second PhD degree in 2010 from Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) in Japan. He filled current professor position in late 2010. He served as Dean of College of Life Sciences from December 2019 to March 2022 and was Chairman of SCAU Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese since July 2020. From November 2021, he worked as Director of Office of International Relations & Office for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs. He became Member of the University Committee and Vice President of South China Agricultural University since December 2024.

As a State-Council Special Allowance Expert, he is listed in many national talent projects, including Leading Talent of Technological Innovation of Ten-Thousand Talents Program, National Hundred, Thousand and Ten-Thousand Talents Project, Young and Middle-Aged Talents with Outstanding Contribution Award, New Century Excellent Talents Project of the Ministry of Education, the Pearl River Scholar of Guangdong Province. He is also winner of the Contribution Award of Returned Overseas Chinese of China, the Guangdong Province Model Worker Award and the Guangdong Excellent Teacher Award.

Prof. Chen has been committed to the molecular mechanism of important traits related to the utilization of hybrid vigor in rice. He has presided over 20 national key projects and published more than 90 papers with a total citation of more than 7,500 times. He has also been granted 11 invention patents and has received awards such as the Guangdong Province Ding Ying Science and Technology Award and the Innovation Talent Contribution Award from the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. 

Main academic titles: Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Society of Plant Physiology, Editorial board member of international academic journals like Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, Reproduction & Breeding, Editorial board member of Chinese academic journals like Chinese Bulletin of Botany, Chinese Journal of Biotechnology and Journal of South China Agricultural University.

He is responsible for international exchange and cooperation as well as social service, and continuing education, etc. He is in charge of Office of International Relations (Office for Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan Affairs), New Rural Construction Office, College of Continuing Education and College of International Education (Guangzhou Dublin International College of Life Sciences and Technology). He also contacts College of Horticulture, College of Life Sciences, College of Foreign Studies and SCAU Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.