"I have realized my educational ideals in Xi'an, and I am willing to continue working for academic exchanges between China and Italy," said Sergio A. Pignari, executive vice dean of the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School of Design and Innovation.

Sergio is an internationally renowned electrical engineering expert and a full professor at Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

Sergio A. Pignari poses for a photo at the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School of Design and Innovation. [Photo/Xi'an news network]

In 2009, Sergio was invited by one of his doctoral students to join the doctoral defense panel at Xi'an Jiaotong University. That was his first time in Xi'an.

He recalled, "Through exchanges with professors and students, I found that Xi'an has abundant educational resources, and electrical engineering is one of the key disciplines at Xi'an Jiaotong University."

The idea of promoting collaboration between the two universities and nurturing professionals with an international perspective was born in his mind at that moment.

Since then, Sergio has been actively building bridges between the two universities.

Also in 2009, Xi'an Jiaotong University visited Politecnico di Milano, and the two universities signed a dual doctoral training agreement, marking the official start of their collaboration.

In 2012, they signed a dual master's degree agreement in electrical engineering, jointly training master's students.

After 2015, the collaboration between the two universities continued to expand, with exchange programs and student exchanges between Xi'an and Milan.

With strong support from educational authorities, the construction plan for the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School of Design and Innovation was quickly approved by the Ministry of Education.

In 2019, the school started its construction, and Sergio was busy working on it as the leading promoter and participant.

The school welcomed 240 freshmen from across China in September 2022, marking a significant milestone in Sergio's educational career.

From his arrival in Xi'an in early 2009 to the establishment of the school, he has fully embodied the dedication of an educator.

"Now, Xi'an has become my second home," Sergio said with a smile.

Currently, Sergio still has many teaching and research plans to be realized in Xi'an. He hopes to utilize the abundant scientific and technological resources in Xi'an to cultivate a group of high-end professionals who will lead the future development of the design field and contribute a continuous stream of talent to the development of China and Italy.