The Joint School
The XJTU-Polimi Joint School was officially inaugurated in 2022, following the approval by the Chinese Ministry of Education of the first two degree programs offered by the School: “Architecture” and “Engineering-Industrial Design.”
The Joint School serves as an international platform dedicated to education, research, startup incubation, and technology transfer. By integrating the Italian approach—characterized by creativity and multidisciplinarity—with the Chinese approach, known for large-scale engineering capabilities, the School aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Offer innovative and interdisciplinary study programs;
- Attract researchers from around the world;
- Promote collaboration between academia and industry, involving Italian, Chinese, and international enterprises;
- Train experts in entrepreneurship within key technological sectors.
The Milan Building
The symbolic building of the Joint School is the Milan Building, inaugurated on September 7, 2019, in the Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbour (iHarbour), the newest campus of XJTU.
The Milan Building is a smart structure designed by architects from Politecnico di Milano, consisting of two main sections: a single-story volume and a corner tower. On the ground floor, enclosed spaces, referred to as “laboratories,” alternate with open-air “patios.” The spatial organization is designed to encourage interaction and dialogue, both among individuals and across different disciplines. The tower, designed with the same goal in mind, features a vertical open space with staggered staircases that diagonally connect the different floors, further stimulating opportunities for interaction.