Politecnico and SCUT: the first architects earning the double degree in Urban Design

In the graduation session of September, the first 16 double degree candidates of the Architecture Construction and City Master Degree Course /M.Sc in Urban Design, were awarded the double degree within the Co-run Program launched by Politecnico and South China University of Technology (SCUT), Guangzhou province, China. This achievement is the result of the strategic agreement signed in 2019 by the two universities, whose aim is to build an innovative educational program on urban design issues, with professors from both the institutions enriching the teaching offer.

Despite Covid-19 pandemic, the support of the internationalization services of both universities, provided solutions to let the students travel between the two countries without stopping the first two years of the course program. Each year, 30 selected Chinese students begin a two-year course that includes a mobility semester at Politecnico di Torino. In 2021, the students had the possibility to attend Italian semester courses in presence, hinged in the master’s degree course in Architecture, Construction and City. Furthermore, the students had also the chance to attend several activities organized by the China Room, such as visiting Biennale Architecture in Venice, the collaboration with the international competition for Meiguan Innovative Industry Corridor promoted by Shenzhen municipality and the Tianjin 3615 Emergency and Rescue Innovation Park design.

The first group of theses defended, were jointly supervised by professors from DAD and DIST Departments, and SCUT colleagues. They represented the main goals of the co-run program, since focused on issues such as urban regeneration, social justice, industrial recovery, environmental and economic sustainability. The case studies presented investigated the diverse context of Chinese cities: due to frenetic Chinese urban growing, it became relevant to examine new spatial models that focus on next citizen communities.  

While the 2020/2021 cohort is completing the program, on 28^th September the second group belonging to 2021/2022 a.y. arrived in Turin. The students visited Cittadella Politecnica and had a warm welcome from China Room members at Castello del Valentino. Meanwhile in Guangzhou, the interviews for the next candidates took place, confirming the prolific collaboration between the Universities on research and educational training in Urban Design.

“PoliTO-SCUT Co-run Program, that is at its full speed, represents significant piece in the collaboration in research and teaching fields between Politecnico di Torino and South China University of Technology – highlights professor Michele Bonino, Rector’s Delegate for International Relations with China and Asian Countries – and it is a precious space of growth and exchange for future architects educational training, that will be able to face the complexity of international urban challenges”.  

“The double degree program in Urban Design raises crucial issue for cities and society future – explains Mauro Berta, Scientific Director of the program – Today’s big issues, such as development sustainability, spatial justice, territory and heritage safeguard, mobility needs, will increasingly require new generations of professionals able to combine global challenges and peculiarities of local territories; these issues are the core of the co-run program, essential to train future architects specialized in urban design”.