He was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2015, graduated from Jiangsu Agricultural College in 1975, majoring in Agronomy. He is currently a professor at the Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, the academic leader of the National Key Discipline Crop Cultivation and Tillage. He also serves as Deputy Head of the Advisory Panel of Rice of the Ministry of Agriculture, Director of the Cultivation Committee of Crop Science Society of China (CSSC), and Director of the Rice Planting Technology Innovation Center of the Yangtze River Basin. His research topics mainly include: theory of crop high yield and good quality and high efficient and new technology of crop cultivation and farming. Professor Zhang held numerous titles and honors including “National Outstanding Young Experts” in 1994, “National Model Teacher” in 1998, “Outstanding Academic Leader of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions” in 1999, “National May 1st Labor Medal” in 2004, the Chief Young and Middle-aged Scientist of “333 Talent Project” in Jiangsu Province in 2007, and “National Grain Production Advanced Worker Model” in 2008. He was awarded by the State Council as the "Agricultural Scientist for Outstanding Contributions to National Grain Production" in 2011. He was given the "China Agricultural Talents Award", "He Liang He Li Fund Science and Technology Progress Award", and "Science and Technology Achievement Award of CSSC" in 2012.