Torino University City

There are two important universities in Torino, guaranteeing high-level instruction for more than 113,000 students (a.y. 2019/2020): Università degli Studi di Torino and Politecnico di Torino. The universities in Torino have notable experience in research and development as well as collaboration with businesses. They are also involved in important international networks.

The Università degli studi di Torino, founded in 1404, is one of the most ancient and prestigious in Italy. Today it welcomes more than 77,500 students (2020), 23% of whom are from outside the Region, including 4,800 foreigners. More than 1100 students are registered for doctorate programmes (31/12/2019). About 13,900 students graduate each year, with 9,400 in the first level and 4,500 in the second level (2019).

Educational courses are organized into 69 three-year undergraduate programmes, 77 Master of Science programmes, and 9 single-cycle undergraduate programmes (a.y. 2019/2020). It has more than 500 cooperative agreements with foreign universities in about 80 countries and 17 courses of study are delivered entirely in English (a.y. 2019/2020). It is the second university in Italy according to the Greenmetric ranking and the fourth according to the ARWU Shanghai ranking, both indices of sustainability. It has revenue of more than €15 million per year for research and commissioned consultation activities (2019).

The Università degli Studi, today spread over several sites throughout the city, also has a series of projects planned to reorganize the use of the spaces. In particular, it plans to expand the Grugliasco scientific campus, where the Departments of Agrarian, Forest, and Food Sciences and Veterinary Sciences are already located, creating the new City of Science, which will be joined by the Departments of Chemistry, Life and Biological Sciences, and Earth Sciences. In doing so, an international scientific hub will be created with an important focus on research, favouring an increase in efficiency, attractiveness, and competitiveness. The new campus covers an area of 121,660 sq. m. and the work is expected to start in spring 2021, lasting for a period of 3 years. The total investment is about €160 million. The new Campus will lead to a significant increase in the university population in Grugliasco, that is, from the current 5,000 to more than 10,000.

The City of Science has been designed in close relation to the new C ity of Health , which will emerge in Torino in the Avio–Oval area, with a land area of 313,725 sq. m. The project entails the realization of a new high-level hospital that will combine the competencies and specializations of the four main hospital structures in the city — Molinette, Sant’Anna, Regina Margherita, and CTO. It will also house the School of Medicine and Surgery at the Università degli Studi di Torino. The objective of the project is to build an integrated hospital hub that will bring together high-level health assistance, teaching, and research. Under the project, the space designated for teaching is about 31,000 sq. m. to host 5,000 students. This is to be combined with a university research centre of about 10,000 sq. m. to host a thousand people. For housing services for those in temporary residence, 190 places are planned in a residential area of 8,000 sq. m. The total value of the project is more than €650 million.

The Politecnico di Torino , founded in 1906, is recognized around the world as a top-tier centre for education and research in the fields of engineering and architecture. It is strongly dedicated to innovation and research with important ties to the industrial world. In 2020, it was the 41st technical university in the world based on the QS World University ranking and the 308th in the world with respect to another 1600 universities. In 2020, the Politecnico joined the top 26% on the global level.

The employment status of graduates from the first and second levels a year after graduation is 95.5%, 71.7% above the national average (AlmaLaurea 2020 – ISTAT def. – labour force), placing the Politecnico as the 14th university in the world for the graduate employment rate.

About 35,700 students were registered in a.y. 2018/2019. Sixty-eight percent of those registered are from outside the region (52% from other regions, 16% from abroad – representing 115 countries, 22% of which are from China). An average of 700 students are registered for doctorate programmes. About 6,700 students graduate each year, divided equally between the first and second levels.

Educational courses are organized into 23 three-year undergraduate programmes and 30 Master of Science programmes. Twenty-three courses of study are taught entirely in English. The university has 413 cooperative agreements with foreign universities. In 2018, it had a revenue of about €18 million for commissioned research. Since 2014 it has participated in 255 European and international projects for a total revenue of €82 million, 199 Horizon 2020 projects for a total revenue of €76 million and 16% rate of success, and 176 national and regional projects for a total revenue of €29 million.

The constant growth of spaces needed by the University has a notable impact on the urban structure of the city. The Politecnico di Torino, located in the heart of the city, covers 300,000 sq. m. divided between the Engineering campus on Corso Duca degli Abruzzi and the Cittadella Politecnica. Historically, it also occupies part of the ancient Castello del Valentino, which is dedicated to the School of Architecture.

The Politecnico’s new Masterplan entails further development of the Valentino area, with the creation of an Architecture Campus. The project will move into the former Torino Esposizioni area, which will therefore be renovated, occupying a space of about 19,000 sq. m for an investment approaching €50 million.

The area of the Cittadella Politecnica, destined for the Engineering Campus, will also be reorganized for greater efficiency and usability. In particular, a large underground car park of 20,100 sq. m. will be built for an investment of about €25 million. The expansion of the campus is also expected, with the creation of new buildings, particularly:

  • new classrooms for an area of 3600 sq. m. and an investment of €13 million, housing four tiered classrooms with 300 seats, four flat-floor classrooms with 150 seats, and services such as the two studios.

  • a “Casa del Welfare” for services and spaces dedicated to students in the former OGR area, an investment of about €8 million for an area of about 1800 sq. m.

  • the Politecnico Learning Center, which integrates teaching and research, is an important part of this renewal. In fact, through a partnership with Fondazione Cottino, the building will encompass the first campus dedicated to impact education in a space of about 4000 sq. m. for an investment of about €10 million.

  • the Digital Revolution House, close to the Energy Center, is dedicated to technological and digital innovation for a space of 7715 sq. m. and more than 2000 sq. m. of underground parking, with a total investment of €22 million.

  • A new engineering library with an international scope and a cultural annex for an area of about 14,000 sq. m. and an investment of about €80 million.

The buildings on Corso Duca degli Abruzzi and the Cittadella Politecnica occupy a total area of more than 300,000 sq. m. The total investment of the planned interventions for the buildings in these areas in the 2020–2022 period is about €96 million.

Important collaborative agreements exist between the two universities. On 9th January 2019, the Università degli Studi di Torino and the Politecnico signed a pact to regenerate and develop the territory. Also following cooperation between the two universities, the new Competence Center was constituted in December 2018. It is dedicated to research and development in advanced manufacturing with the participation of 23 private leading companies in innovation.

With the attractiveness and competitiveness of these city universities, about 40,000 out-of-town students require housing in Torino, and this number is growing each year, leading to significant impacts on the demand for rooms, especially in the central areas of the city and close to the university campuses.

In university housing managed in Torino by EDISU (Ente Regionale per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario del Piemonte), there is a total availability today of about 2000 beds.

In conclusion, the two city universities are fundamental assets and drivers of local development.