The collaboration between Politecnico di Milano and Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) began in 2007 when a PhD student from the Chinese university undertook a study period at Politecnico di Milano.
A dialogue between the two institutions commenced, leading to the signing of a dual degree agreement in Electrical Engineering in 2012. Thanks to the continuous commitment of professors and a climate of mutual trust, the partnership rapidly evolved, resulting in the establishment of dual degree agreements in all disciplines of Politecnico—engineering, architecture, and design—by 2019.
In the same year, the Milan Building was inaugurated in Xi’an, conceived as the physical base of Politecnico di Milano within the Chinese university.
In 2022, the Chinese Ministry of Education approved the XJTU-Polimi Joint School, which officially began operations in September of the same year with two degree programs: “Architecture” and “Engineering-Industrial Design”.
In the following years, the two universities plan to expand the Joint School’s academic offerings while simultaneously exploring opportunities to launch joint research projects involving industry collaborations.
In 2024, during the Italian-Chinese Rectors’ Forum in Beijing, the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding laying the foundation for the creation of the XJTU-Polimi International Campus.
