Politecnico di Torino
Promoted by Politecnico di Torino

Politecnico di Torino: An innovative and sustainable university

Global outlook, distinctive and a cut above traditional degrees. That is what Luca Borghero from Italy sought in a master’s programme.

He found all of those and more at Politecnico di Torino. The Master in Research in Energy Technologies SELECT (Environomical Pathways for Sustainable Energy Systems) offered what Borghero sought, much to his delight.

Politecnico di Torino

Politecnico di Torino was founded in 1859. Source: Politecnico di Torino

“After my bachelor’s degree in Italy I wanted something really different. I applied to this programme because it was extremely international and it would have allowed me to travel a lot and meet people from different cultures,” he says. “Indeed, I could choose two different universities for the first and second year. I have been able to do my first year in Sweden and the second one in Torino in an institution like Politecnico, which is well-known for the strong technical preparation of its students.”

Nothing is more compelling to international students than a fully-funded master’s programme hosted in two or more countries. PoliTO is able to offer this, thanks to its many strong partnerships with other top-level European institutions under the prestigious Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) umbrella.

PoliTO is a participating university in Erasmus Mundus programmes such as the European Master in Embedded Computing Systems and the Joint Master’s Degree Decentralised smart ENergy SYStems (DENSYS), in addition to Borghero’s Master in Research in Energy Technologies SELECT. Within these three programmes, students are allowed to move interchangeably among the partner universities, including PoliTO, while their tuition fees and monthly allowances are taken care of.

For example, besides Italy where PoliTO is based for all these programmes, the Master in Research in Energy Technologies SELECT programme has seven other country options including Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands. In PoliTO, students learn about new energy pathways in future complex-integrated systems.

“During my master’s programme, there were two seminars planned at the beginning and end of every academic year. On those occasions, all the students coming from different universities in this InnoEnergy network gather in a European city to do some courses and basically spend time together,” enthuses Borghero. “It is an amazing occasion to get to know so many other people, students, professors and alumni, and to create a solid network around Europe.”

During his free time, Borghero walks around the city and explores its numerous concerts, museums, exhibitions and markets.

From dawn to sunset, there seems to be no shortage of memories to make in what’s known as the “Magic City.” For American student Kenneth Carper (Bachelor of Science in AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING), the city and all it offers make the perfect balm to the rigours of his programme and the challenges of being abroad on your own.

“The American system keeps you in a safe, comfortable bubble through your four years at university,” he explains. “Living here alone, in a new city, having to adapt and being an outsider, forces you to grow up, act like an adult to be successful, and shapes you into a stronger person.”

The rewards, however, are sweet. “My most memorable experience has been every evening out with friends,” Carper  says, “The night life is incredible, as well as the city life which allows much more socializing and connecting than I would get normally.”. It’s the result of the city of Torino’s foresight more than two decades ago to double its green open spaces, shift to smart and eco-friendly public transportation, and build over 200 kilometres in dedicated cycling lanes, to name a few.

Location is not the only thing PoliTO is famous for. Its campus stands out for its sustainability, with energy-efficient buildings and community forging technological breakthroughs.

Over the years, PoliTO made great strides on the sustainability front. It signed an international declaration in 2009 to foster responsible and sustainable development, launched the Green Mobile Campus strategy in 2010, and reviewed its sustainability efforts through a Marie Curie-funded project two years later. In 2015, PoliTO joined the International Sustainable Campus Network and the GreenMetric Ranking.

PoliTO’s efforts paid off handsomely. In the GreenMetric World University Rankings 2021 – which ranks 956 universities on their campus’ environmental and social sustainability – PoliTO is ranked 20th among the world’s most sustainable universities, an impressive leap from the 333rd position back in 2015. PoliTO is ranked as Italy’s second most sustainable university as well.

That is why on top of the Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes, PoliTO – with such sterling rankings in sustainability – can offer these innovative master’s programmes with confidence and ease: Architecture for Sustainability, Digital Skills for Sustainable Societal Transitions, ICT For Smart Societies, Environmental and Land Engineering, Territorial, Urban, Environmental And Landscape Planning.

Whichever programme you choose, PoliTO will be a  place that nurtures your ambitions and take them to the next level.

Follow Politecnico di Torino on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Telegram and OndeQuadre