PoliTO in China: two new joint colleges and stronger partnerships

Inaugurazione del Sino-Italian College of Engineering and Innovation alla Tongji University

Opening ceremony of the Sino-Italian College of Engineering and Innovation at Tongji University

In September 2026, Politecnico di Torino undertook a high-level mission to China aimed at celebrating the launch of two major joint education initiatives with Tongji University and Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), while further strengthening dialogue and exploring new opportunities for cooperation with leading Chinese partner universities.

The delegation was led by Vice Rector for International Affairs Alberto Sapora and included representatives of the PoliTO China Center, the International Affairs Department (INCAM) and the academic departments involved in the various cooperation initiatives.

On 15 September, Tongji University hosted celebrations marking the 20th Anniversary of the Sino-Italian Campus, together with the inauguration of the first cohort of the Sino-Italian College of Engineering and Innovation (SICEI) at its Siping Campus in Shanghai. Led by Tongji University President Prof. YANG Jinlong, the event brought together university leaders, representatives of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, the Italian Consulate in China, partner universities, companies and organisations active in education and innovation. The ceremony also welcomed the first cohort of 90 students enrolled in the programme, who officially joined the SICEI community and had the opportunity to address the audience during the ceremony.

SICEI, a joint school approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education, represents a new chapter in the long-standing cooperation between Tongji University and Politecnico di Torino. The College offers three joint Master’s programmes in engineering-related fields: ICT for Smart Societies, Systemic Design and Environmental Engineering, including a dedicated Climate Change curriculum. Building on twenty years of cooperation within the Sino-Italian Campus, SICEI promotes an interdisciplinary approach to engineering education, combining academic expertise and educational models from China and Italy and preparing students to address increasingly complex global challenges.

Il Vicerettore Alberto Sapora al Politecnico di Torino Day alla Tongji University

Vice Rector Alberto Sapora at Politecnico di Torino Day at Tongji University

On 16 September, the delegation travelled to Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, where Beijing Institute of Technology hosted, with its Deputy Chairman of the University Council Yang Zhihong, the inauguration of the BIT–PoliTO Joint College at its newly established international campus. The joint education initiative was approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education in May 2026, and the ceremony welcomed its first cohort of 120 students, together with university leaders and local authorities.

The Joint College offers two Bachelor’s programmes in Automotive Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, marking a significant new step in a partnership between BIT and Politecnico di Torino that dates back more than fifteen years and initially focused on student exchange and research cooperation in materials engineering. The new initiative provides students with an international educational experience and creates opportunities for closer interaction among students, faculty and researchers from both institutions. The mobility of students and academic staff is also expected to foster further dialogue and open new avenues for research collaboration.

Beyond these two major events, the PoliTO delegation used the mission to review ongoing cooperation and explore new initiatives with a number of strategic partners. Meetings were held with established partners, including South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, Beihang University and the China Scholarship Council in Beijing. The delegation also engaged with more recent partners and prospective partners, including Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Wuhan University of Technology in Wuhan, Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Nanjing, with which Politecnico di Torino signed its first Memorandum of Understanding.

The meetings highlighted several trends increasingly shaping international higher education cooperation, not only in relations with China. These include the development of joint educational platforms as long-term frameworks for academic dialogue and the exchange of educational practices, cultures and values; the expansion of short-term, two-way mobility programmes as an effective way of introducing students to new academic and cultural environments; and the strengthening of direct dialogue between faculty and researchers, together with increased PhD student mobility, to foster more balanced and sustained research collaboration.

The mission also provided an opportunity to reinforce the role of direct academic engagement as a foundation for long-term institutional partnerships. By bringing together university leadership, faculty members, researchers and students, these initiatives create the conditions for cooperation to develop beyond individual agreements and towards broader and more sustainable academic relationships.

“Students and researchers are our ambassadors - said Vice Rector Alberto Sapora - Through international partnerships, student mobility programmes, and joint education and research initiatives, Politecnico di Torino continues to foster the exchange of knowledge, expertise and perspectives between Italy and China, while creating new opportunities for cooperation in education, research and innovation".