BIT PoliTO Joint College, Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) — a new Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution established by BIT and Politecnico di Torino, Italia — has recently been approved by the Ministry of Education.

Both BIT and Politecnico di Torino are prestigious engineering universities.

BIT is renowned for its national first-class undergraduate programs in mechanical engineering and vehicle engineering. Founded in 1859, Politecnico di Torino is located in Turin, Italy's "automobile capital". Ranking 55th globally in engineering and technology as well as 30th in mechanical engineering, it is a significant hub for engineering education and technological innovation in Europe.

The new BIT PoliTO Joint College will offer undergraduate programs in mechanical engineering and automotive engineering, with a four-year curriculum following a "3+0.5+0.5" joint training model.

Students will study at BIT for the first three years, spend the first semester of their fourth year at Politecnico di Torino, and return to China for their final semester to complete their graduation projects and defenses. Upon meeting graduation requirements, students will receive a graduation certificate and a bachelor's degree from both BIT and Politecnico di Torino.

The curriculum will be jointly developed by both universities, with faculty from both sides co-teaching, promoting course co-construction and sharing teaching resources. Courses in English, intercultural communication, and Italian culture will also be offered to enhance students' international communication and cross-cultural adaptation skills.

The college is located at the Yangtze River Delta Research Institute of BIT in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. The college will deepen industry-education integration and science-education convergence, cultivating globally-minded, innovative engineers with a strong sense of national responsibility and practical engineering skills.

The approval of this joint college is the culmination of over 30 years of collaboration between the two universities. Since the 1990s, academic teams from both sides have engaged in exchanges. Following an inter-university cooperation agreement in 2007, the two sides have signed eight project agreements, including student exchanges, dual undergraduate degrees, and integrated bachelor-master programs. To date, over 100 students have participated in exchange programs, and more than 80 have earned dual degrees from both institutions.