On February 28, 2025, relevant departments from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission, National Bureau of Statistics, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, and General Administration of Customs visited our university to conduct research. They held a special seminar with our experts and scholars on "Digital Governance and Agricultural  Market Monitoring and Early Warning." This event was co-organized by the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development（SARD） and the Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence at Renmin University of China, with support from theHIPPO (Hub of Information, Price Prediction and Operation. Zhu Xinkai, Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Executive Vice President of Renmin University of China; Lei Liugong, Director General of the Department of Market and Informatization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; and Song Danyang, Deputy Director General and First-Class Inspector of the Department of Market and Informatization, participated in the seminar. Over 50 officials from relevant bureaus and departments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission, National Bureau of Statistics, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, and General Administration of Customs engaged in an in-depth exchange with our experts and scholars.

 

Executive Vice President Zhu Xinkai extended a warm welcome to Director General Lei Liugong and his delegation. He stated that Renmin University of China fully implements the spirit of the important speech by President Xi Jinping during his visit to Renmin University. Focusing on major national strategies, the university actively promotes the empowerment of philosophy and social science research through artificial intelligence. Relying on the Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence, the National Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Innovation Platform for National Governance, and the Suzhou Institute of Artificial Intelligence, the university advances interdisciplinary "AI+" research. It strives to be a pioneer in overall planning and promotion, innovate in ecosystem cultivation, and gather advantages in building core think tanks. The SARD has also been at the forefront of research and practice in the field of 'AI + Agriculture, Rural Areas and Farmers (Sannong)'. He hopes that this exchange activity will fully showcase the research achievements of the agricultural economics discipline and other disciplines in digital empowerment and AI integration, promote and accelerate the university's research in related directions and further in-depth cooperation with various ministries, achieving data sharing, platform co-construction, results sharing, and talent co-cultivation in the field of digital governance.

 

Director Lei Liugong fully affirmed the achievements of Renmin University of China in the fields of digital governance and agricultural  market monitoring and early warning. He stated that President Xi Jinping's important speech during his visit to Renmin University of China has pointed out the direction for the development of philosophy and social sciences in our country. Research on agricultural market monitoring and early warning is crucial to national food security strategy. It should be recognized and studied from a broader perspective and with an overall view of national security. Renmin University of China's research in this area presents new patterns, new ideas, and new methods, providing strong support for the national agricultural  market monitoring and early warning work. He looks forward to close collaboration with the SARD, the Gao Ling School of Artificial Intelligence, and the HIPPO to promote the application and transformation of relevant academic achievements, thus providing robust support for the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and the accelerated construction of a strong agricultural nation.

The Party Secretary of the SARD and Director of the Domestic Cooperation Office, Zeng Bingjian, introduced the SARD and the construction of digital intelligence disciplines. SARD is actively promoting interdisciplinary integration, continuously advancing research innovation and digital intelligence fusion in areas such as the construction and evaluation of rural revitalization indices, the development of agricultural smart brains, and research on agricultural brands and regional platform incubation.

Research progress on big data mining, prediction and early warning of agricultural prices

Professor Tian Xiaohui, from the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development and Director of the HIPPO, reported on the research progress of the HIPPO in big data mining and prediction of agricultural product prices. She introduced the newly developed artificial intelligence monitoring and forecasting platform for agricultural product prices by Renmin University of China, as well as the team's research on the impact of factors related to macroeconomics, climate shocks, industrial policies, and international trade on the supply and price stability of agricultural products.

The National Governance Big Data and AI Innovation Platform system of Renmin University of China

Gong Xinqi, Director of the National Governance Big Data and AI Innovation Platform and Deputy Dean of the Interdisciplinary Science Research Institute, introduced the construction status of the National Governance Big Data and AI Innovation Platform at Renmin University of China. As a new form of the humanities laboratory system, the platform continuously promotes the digital and intelligent transformation of philosophy and social sciences, enhancing complex decision-making systems to serve major national governance needs.

Research progress on artificial intelligence-enabled interdisciplinary science at Renmin University of China

Sun Hao，Associate Professor of Gao Ling School of Artificial Intelligence,   reported on the direction of our university's AI-empowered interdisciplinary scientific research. He detailed the planning landscape of our university's AI for Science and AI for Social Science, showcasing our achievements in areas such as AI applied to scientific computing, weather forecasting, knowledge discovery, material discovery, protein design, antibody design, social agent simulation, smart city construction, and agricultural product price prediction and early warning through case studies.

Study on the interaction mechanism between macro economy and agricultural prices

Vice President of the Institute of Modern Agricultural Industry Economics at Huazhong Agricultural University and Deputy Director of the HIPPO, Li Jian, presented on the topic "Research on the Interaction Mechanism between Macroeconomics and Agricultural Product Prices," analyzing the mechanisms by which macroeconomic factors influence agricultural product prices and the unique characteristics of China's agricultural market.

Professor Cheng Guoqiang, Dean of the National Academy of Food Security Strategy and Wu Yuzhang Chair Professor, commented on the conference report. He noted that Renmin University of China has significant advantages in interdisciplinary studies and talent cultivation, with a solid foundation in data integration and advanced model interpretation capabilities for agricultural market monitoring and early warning. He emphasized the need to further promote the practical application of research findings, and that research institutions should collaborate with government departments to break down data barriers, link models to decision-making, and drive innovation through scenario-driven approaches.

This event was also a "City Speaks New Words" themed party day activity organized by the Market and Information Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. After the symposium, participants visited the History Museum of Renmin University of China to learn about President Xi Jinping's important speech during his inspection at Renmin University of China.

HIPPO (Hub of Information, Price Prediction and Operation) of Renmin University of China is a think tank institution under the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development. The center focuses on the prediction and early warning of agricultural product prices and macro-control of the agricultural market. It integrates cutting-edge technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and has two core forecasting models. The center has established a technical system covering data integration, algorithm models, and application scenarios, providing quantitative tools for researchers in prediction and early warning, decision support for macro-control of agricultural product prices, and economic propositions to guide agricultural production, operation, and consumption expectations.