New partnerships in China for sustainable urban development
PoliTO recently took part in the founding of the Northern Latitude 45 Design and Education Group (NLD&E45), in the field of sustainable urban development. The NLD&E45 Alliance was officially launched during the international forum themed Numerous Nexus Novus, held from June 28th to 29th at Harbin Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and Design.
Co-initiated by Harbin Institute of Technology (China), Politecnico (Department of Architecture and Design-DAD), and The Glasgow School of Art (UK), the NLD&E45 Alliance aims to foster cross-cultural collaboration and innovation in design education and research, responding to the global demand for sustainable development and interdisciplinary cooperation.
Prof. Francesco Novelli, Co-Director of the China Center at Politecnico, and Dr. Xiaoxu Liang, postdoctoral researcher at DAD, represented PoliTO in a series of key academic events, including the international forum, panel discussions, and strategic meetings.
On June 28th, Prof. Novelli and Dr. Liang took part in the 2nd Meeting of the Academic Committee of the Ministry of Education’s International Joint Laboratory for Green and Low-Carbon Urban Renewal, hosted by HIT. The meeting brought together top scholars from leading institutions including Tsinghua University, Southeast University, Tongji University, and Politecnico di Milano. Prof. Novelli presented his team’s recent research achievements and contributed to discussions on the laboratory’s internationalization and strategic development. Experts collectively emphasized the need for enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration and global project engagement, positioning the Joint Lab as a demonstrative platform for Sino-European cooperation in sustainable urban transformation.
The following days featured continued engagement. On June 30th, at the opening of HIT-Tongji University 2025 International Summer School, Prof. Francesco Novelli and Dr. Liang participated as an instructor and mentor. The program welcomed 144 international students from 11 countries, from universities such as Politecnico di Milano, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, University of Seville, and leading Chinese universities and featured diverse lectures, workshops, and field visits.
On July 2nd, Prof. Novelli and Dr. Liang attended an academic exchange seminar on computational design, engaging with HIT faculty on cutting-edge methods and approaches. The session fostered intellectual exchange and concluded with a symbolic gift exchange between both teams, underlining the spirit of mutual respect and collaboration.
Further strengthening academic ties, Prof. Lorenzo Savio (PoliTO DAD), led a four-day undergraduate course titled “Architectural Design of Residential Buildings in the Aim of Urban Sustainable Regeneration” part of HIT’s high-level expert teaching program. The course engaged over 80 students in critical urban design thinking aligned with sustainable goals.
Through its strong participation in these academic initiatives, Politecnico di Torino continues to play a leading role in advancing global dialogue in design education, sustainable urbanism, and cross-cultural innovation.
