The College of Information Science and Engineering of Shandong Agricultural University traces its origin back to the Basic Courses Department of Shandong Agricultural College founded in 1963, and its embryonic form was the College of Science established in 1999. In October 2002, based on the disciplines of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics from the former College of Science, as well as relevant majors integrated from the College of Forestry, College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering and College of Science and Technology, the College of Information Science and Engineering was formally founded.

The college has a total of 176 faculty members, including 142 full-time teachers. Among full-time teachers are 19 professors and 72 associate professors, plus 12 part-time professors appointed by the college. At present, the college has 3,523 enrolled students, consisting of 3,171 undergraduates and 352 master’s students.

The college comprises seven teaching departments: Computer Science and Technology, Public Mathematics, Applied Physics, Surveying and Mapping Science and Engineering, Electronic and Communication Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Data Science. It owns three university-level experimental teaching centers for Computer Science, Physics, and Surveying and Mapping.

Ten undergraduate majors are offered: Surveying and Mapping Engineering, Electronic Information Science and Technology, Computer Science and Technology, Data Science and Big Data Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Communication Engineering, Internet of Things Engineering, Information and Computing Science, and Remote Sensing Science and Technology. Among them, Internet of Things Engineering is a National First-Class Undergraduate Major under Construction; Computer Science and Technology, Surveying and Mapping Engineering, and Electronic Information Science and Technology are Shandong Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Majors under Construction. As a pilot reform major of the Shandong Outstanding Engineer Education Program, Surveying and Mapping Engineering passed the Engineering Education Professional Accreditation by the Ministry of Education in 2018, with its talent cultivation quality recognized as internationally equivalent.

The college holds three first-tier master’s degree authorization disciplines: Computer Science and Technology, Surveying and Mapping Science and Technology, and Mathematics, as well as four professional master’s degree programs: Agricultural Engineering and Information Technology, New-Generation Electronic Information Technology, Computer Technology, and Control Engineering. There are 6 doctoral supervisors, 64 master’s supervisors and 21 industrial supervisors.

The college operates six provincial and ministerial-level scientific and technological innovation platforms: the National Demonstration Base for Agricultural and Rural Informatization (Technology Innovation Type) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Technology in the Huang-Huai-Hai Region under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shandong Engineering Technology Research Center for Digital Agriculture, Shandong Engineering Research Center for Agricultural Big Data, Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Agricultural Big Data, and Shandong Laboratory for Data Opening, Innovation and Application. It also owns one provincial collaborative innovation center (Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center for Big Data and Refined Agricultural Product Market Services), one provincial science and education base (Shandong Agricultural Big Data Technology and Achievement Exhibition & Experience Base), two department-level and two university-level scientific innovation platforms. Four university-enterprise joint research institutes have been co-established: Yili Green Land Technology Research Institute of Shandong Agricultural University, Weifang Digital Agriculture Industry Development Research Institute, Shandong Qilu Digital Village Research Institute, and Shandong Garlic Industry Big Data Research Institute.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 300 faculty members received teaching and research awards at university level and above. The honors include 1 First Prize of Shandong Provincial Natural Science Award, 1 First Prize of the Shandong Excellent Agricultural Technology Promotion Achievement Program, 1 First Prize, 1 Second Prize and 1 Third Prize of Shandong Provincial Teaching Achievement Award; 1 First Prize and 1 Third Prize of the National Blended Teaching Design Innovation Competition, 1 Third Prize of the National Young Teacher Teaching Competition; 1 First Prize and 1 Excellent Award of Shandong University Young Teacher Teaching Competition, and 2 Second Prizes of Shandong University Teacher Teaching Innovation Competition. University Physics was approved as a National First-Class Undergraduate Course, while University Physics Experiment B2, Fundamentals of University Computer and Java Programming were recognized as Shandong Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Courses.

Over the 14th Five-Year Plan period, faculty have undertaken 167 research projects at provincial, ministerial and national levels including sub-projects of the National Key R&D Program and National Natural Science Foundation of China, with total approved research funding reaching 82.783 million RMB. A total of 511 high-level academic papers have been published, among which 403 are indexed by SCI and EI. Seventy invention patents and 641 software copyrights have been authorized, and 34 monographs and textbooks have been published.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, students won 21 provincial-level and above awards in innovation and entrepreneurship competitions such as the Internet Plus Competition, Challenge Cup, iCAN National College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and Shandong University Students’ Science and Technology Innovation Competition. In disciplinary contests including the Lanqiao Cup, China University Computer Design Competition, Shandong University Software Design Competition and Mathematical Modeling Contest, students claimed more than 3,000 provincial and higher-level awards.

Looking ahead, the college will actively implement a four-dimensional coordinated development strategy of Prospering the College through Teaching, Strengthening the College through Scientific Research, Revitalizing the College through Talents, and Activating the College through Opening-up. It will proactively align with the national digital transformation strategy and major demands of rural revitalization, take artificial intelligence and big data as core driving forces, deepen the interdisciplinary integration of Emerging Engineering Education and New Agricultural Education, strive to build an interdisciplinary system of AI + Agriculture, forge an innovation highland for smart agricultural information technology, and aim to rank among the top agricultural and forestry universities nationwide in overall school-running strength and disciplinary influence by 2030. (Updated in April 2026)