In implementation of the Education Modernization in China 2035 initiated by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and in alignment with the Education Action Plan for the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guidelines on Accelerating and Expanding Education Opening-Up in the New Era issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and seven other ministries in China, Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) established the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School of Design and Innovation in 2022 with Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) under the approval of the MoE. This non-independent legal entity Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution aims to develop high-level international collaboration in design and engineering education between XJTU and POLIMI.
To further deepen and broaden this partnership, and with the approval from the MoE, the school has been renamed as XJTU-POLIMI Joint School，Xi’an Jiaotong University from March 2025 , retaining its abbreviation as the "Joint School".
I. Mission
The Joint School adheres to XJTU’s founding mission of"Rooted in the West, Serving the Nation, Aspiring for Global Excellence", inheriting the "XJTU’s Westward Relocation Spirit". Leveraging the strengths, academic resources, and long-standing collaboration between the two universities, the Joint School is committed to an interdisciplinary development philosophy of"New Engineering, Grand Design, and Cross-Disciplinary Integration". It pioneers an innovative educational model that combines Sino-foreign collaboration, interdisciplinary synergy, and industry-academia integration, aiming to cultivate visionary talents with global perspectives and Chinese roots, capable of leading future industry advancements.
II. Academic Programs
The Joint School offers three undergraduate programs:
● Industrial Design (4-year)
● Architecture (5-year)
● Electrical Engineering and Automation (4-year)
The Electrical Engineering Discipline in XJTU is rated A+ by the MoE and is listed among the World-Class Disciplines.
The Design Discipline in XJTU ranks A+ in the Shanghai Ranking.
All three programs are designated as National First-Class Majors.
POLIMI is globally renowned, with its Design ranked 6th, Architecture 7th, and Electrical Engineering 23rd in the 2025 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
III. Features
1. Integration of Strengths
● Combines the disciplinary excellence and educational resources of both universities in design and engineering field.
● Implements a jointly developed training plan, delivered by a faculty team comprising POLIMI and XJTU professors.
● Curriculum strictly complies with the MoE "Four One-Thirds" policy for Sino-foreign joint programs.
2. Dual-Degree Model
Adopts a "Dual Degree, Dual Enrollment, T+0" mode:
● Students receive both XJTU’s bachelor’s diploma/degree and POLIMI’s bachelor’s degree upon meeting graduation and degree requirements.
● All coursework is completed at XJTU, with POLIMI faculty teaching on-site, offering a "study-abroad experience without leaving China".
3. Practice-Oriented Education
● 40% of the courses are practice-based, emphasizing design and engineering applications.
● Fosters an industry-academia ecosystem ("XJTU + POLIMI + Enterprises") to bridge education and innovation.
● Courses like Architectural Design and Design Practice are co-taught by XJTU/POLIMI faculty and industry mentors, ensuring rapid translation of academic outcomes into real-world solutions.
IV. Faculty
The School’s faculty is jointly selected by both universities:
● An Academic Committee composed of distinguished scholars from China and abroad oversees academic development.
● XJTU leverages its talent pool in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mathematics, physics and etc., appointing top-tier scholars across the university to teach in the joint school.
● POLIMI dispatches senior professors and teaching assistant team to deliver over one-third of the core courses, ensuring global pedagogical standards.
V. iHarbour Campus
Located in XJTU’s Innovation Harbour Campus with 18,000+ m² teaching space, the Joint School is:
● Culturally enriched by the millennia-old cultural heritage of Xi’an and ’s 120+ years of academic tradition of XJTU.
● Innovation-driven, embedded in the Qinchuangyuan platform, Western China’s premier sci-tech innovation ecosystem.
● Resource-advantaged, with access to:
8 interdisciplinary platforms
30 research institutes
400+ labs spanning STEM, medicine, and humanities, offering students unparalleled exposure to cutting-edge research, industry collaboration, and global innovation networks.
VI. Students’ achievements
Students synthesize XJTU’s rigorous theoretical training with POLIMI’s design innovation methodologies. Through tripartite mentorship (XJTU-POLIMI-industry), they have achieved:
● 120+ awards at national/provincial levels (incl. 40+ national, 80+ provincial).
● 6 wins at the iF Design Award and Red Dot Award (two of the world’s top three design accolades).
● 5 gold medals in the International Track of China International College Students’ Innovation Competition.
