The seventh edition of The China School offers a unique opportunity to step into the heart of innovation through an international learning platform that combines lectures with leading experts and an immersive experience in two cities that symbolize China’s hi-tech rise. Interacting with our speakers and visiting major corporations will give participants the chance to experience this transformation first-hand—an evolution redefining China’s future and reshaping global dynamics.

Organized by the Research Center on Contemporary China (CSCC) and the Graduate School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, The China School will take place in Milan, Shanghai, and Shenzhen from 14 to 28 July 2026. After three days in Milan, the group will travel to China for a full immersion in its innovation hubs.

To ensure a plurality of disciplinary and intellectual perspectives, The China School brings together scholars and policy experts from diverse backgrounds, including Economics, International Relations, and Political Science.

Speakers

The initiative highlights potential career paths and positions The China School as an exceptional platform for connecting with researchers from leading institutions. Participants will also have the opportunity to join company visits and meet with corporate managers in China, gaining direct exposure to the country’s industrial and technological transformation, driven by artificial intelligence and automation.

The program is open to a maximum of 30 participants. Participation options are flexible; see the website for details. The full program of lectures in Milan and activities in China will be available on this website starting from January 7, 2026. The application deadline is 31 March 2026. Applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply for The China School, fill in the online application form.

Online Application

At a Glance

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7h

Edition

groups

30

Participants

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3 cities

Milan · Shanghai · Shenzhen

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15 days

14–28 July 2026

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10+

Top speakers from academia, think tank and industry

license

7h

Edition

location_city

3 cities

Milan · Shanghai · Shenzhen

groups

30

Participants

event_upcoming

15 days

14–28 July 2026

record_voice_over

10+

Top speakers from academia,
think tank and industry

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Company visits to leading Chinese and international corporations

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Networking with managers, professionals, and peers

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Application deadline: 31 March 2026

Speakers

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Find out more

Online Application

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Find out more

Speakers

Markus Taube

Prof. Dr. Markus Taube holds the Chair for East Asian Economic Studies / China as a faculty member of the Mercator School of Management and the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.

His academic work focusses on the institutional framework of innovation and industrial policy in China as well as China’s economic interaction with the world.

Markus Taube

Yu Jie

Dr Yu Jie is senior research fellow on China in the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, focusing on the decision-making process of Chinese foreign policy as well as China’s economic diplomacy.

She frequently comments in major media outlets such as BBC News and the Financial Times and regularly briefs senior policy practitioners from the G7 member governments and the Silk Road Fund in Beijing.
She also advises major FTSE 100 corporates and leading European financial institutions on China’s political landscape.

Yu Jie has testified on China’s foreign affairs at various UK Parliament committees. She was previously head of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS and remains as an associate fellow.

Prior to LSE, she was a management consultant, specializing in Chinese state-owned enterprises investments in Europe and Chinese market entry strategies for European conglomerates at the London office of Roland Berger.

LSE recognized her as one of its ‘Leading Women’ in 2018 for her contribution in teaching and engaging the public debates on China’s foreign affairs.
She is also a Young Leader for the Asian Security Summit Shangri-La Dialogue.

Yu Jie

Giuliano Noci

Giuliano Noci is full professor of Strategy and Marketing. From 2011, he is the Vice-Rector for China of Politecnico di Milano.

He is currently a board member of Management Engineering Department; a board member of Polimi Graduate School of Management; a member of Board of Directors of Polimilano Educational Consulting Ltd, an entity established by Politecnico di Milano to foster post-graduate education and technological transfer projects in China.

Giuliano Noci

Rogier Creemers

Rogier Creemers is a Lecturer in Modern Chinese Studies.
With a background in Sinology and International Relations, and a PhD in Law, his research focuses on Chinese domestic digital technology policy, as well as China's growing importance in global digital affairs.

He is the principal investigator of the NWO Vidi Project "The Smart State: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and the Law in China".
For the Leiden Asia Centre, he directs a project on China and global cybersecurity, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Rogier Creemers

Belinda Schäpe

Belinda Schäpe is a China Policy Analyst with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) where she analyses China's decarbonisation journey and advises policymakers on their diplomatic engagement with China.

Previously, Belinda worked on EU-China relations on climate change at the think tank E3G, the European Commission, Dialogue Earth, and several organisations facilitating business cooperation.

Belinda holds a double master’s degree in International Affairs from the LSE and Peking University and a bachelor’s degree in Chinese Studies and Business Administration from Tübingen University.

Belinda Schäpe

Mathieu Duchâtel

Dr. Mathieu Duchâtel joined Institut Montaigne in January 2019 as Director of the Asia Program.

He was previously Senior Policy Fellow and Deputy Director of the Asia and China Program at the European Council of Foreign Relations (2015-2018), Senior Researcher and the Representative in Beijing of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2011-2015), Research Fellow with Asia Centre in Paris (2007-2011) and Associate Researcher based in Taipei with Asia Centre (2004-2007).

He has spent a total of nine years in Shanghai (Fudan University), Taipei (National Chengchi University) and Beijing and has been visiting scholar at the School of International Studies of Peking University in 2011/2012, the Japan Institute of International Affairs in 2015, and the Institute of National Defense and Security Research in Taipei in September 2020.

He holds a Ph.D in political science from the Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po Paris).

Mathieu Duchâtel

Sergio Paba

Sergio Paba (MA Cambridge, PhD Bologna) is a Professor of Economics at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and a member of the Research Center in Contemporary China. His recent research focuses on the economic relations between China and Europe.

In this field, he has published works on the impact of Chinese FDI in Italy and on the Chinese automotive industry, with a focus on the electric vehicle market.

Sergio Paba

Silvia Menegazzi

Silvia Menegazzi is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome, where she teaches courses in International Relations and Asian Studies. Her research agenda is characterized by deep engagement with Chinese foreign policy, non-governmental actors, think tanks, the dynamics of EU–Asia relations, and Rising Powers in Global Governance. She recently co-authored the book China’s Blueprint for Global Leadership: GSI, GDI, GCI and Xi Jinping’s Vision for the International Order, published by Palgrave Macmillan (2025, with Matteo Dian).

Silvia Menegazzi

Francesca Spigarelli

Full Professor of Applied Economics, she teaches at the Department of Law at the University of Macerata, focusing on industrial economics, innovation economics, and political economy, with particular attention to the Chinese economy and its development. Since 2013, she has been the founder and director of the China Center at the University of Macerata. She has extensive experience in European project design.

Francesca Spigarelli

David Fishman

David Fishman is senior manager at The Lantau Group. David Fishman's areas of expertise cover regulatory and economic intelligence for the Chinese power sector, including solar, wind, coal, nuclear, hydro, transmission grid, and power markets.

 His specific project experience includes Chinese power market and policy intelligence and forecasting, solar and wind tariff policies, renewable asset transactional due diligence, China business matchmaking, and green power procurement support for multinationals operating in China.
 
Prior to joining TLG, David was a Managing co-director and shareholder of the nuclear energy-focused consultancy Nicobar Group in Shanghai.
He holds a joint MA from Johns Hopkins SAIS and Nanjing University in International Relations and Energy Policy.  He is a native English speaker and fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

David Fishman

Joseph Seet

Joseph Seet was educated in the US, Australia, Singapore, and China. A global part of his business is serving Global Fortune 500 clients in South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Scandinavia, and Australasia.

He has raised funding from tier 1 venture capital firms to launch travel and material handling companies in China, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Sharing his expertise and experience with the community is his passion.

Joseph Seet

Long Jing

LONG Jing is current the Deputy Director of the Center for European Studies of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.
She joined in the Institutes in 2008, after she finished a two-year Sino-French program and got her Ph.D. in International Relationship at East China Normal University.

Then she devoted three years in public diplomacy by working in China-United States Exchange Foundation, which was founded and guided by Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, former Hong Kong chief executive.

After finishing her tenure in Hong Kong, she worked as Deputy Director of the Department of Research Management and International Exchange in SIIS and then Deputy Director of the Center for European Studies.

Her research fields are Sino-European relationship, European Integration, Cooperative mechanism of China and CEECs, Belt and Road Initiative.

Long Jing

What will you learn

The China School explores China’s rapid ascent in high technology, its strategic competition with the United States and its cooperation with the Global South. The program will put a strong spotlight on cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and industrial automation — offering participants a front-row seat to the technologies shaping the future. It will examine how China’s innovation strategy is negotiated, designed, and implemented across sectors and regions, and how Chinese actors (from government bodies to tech firms) position their innovations both domestically and on the global stage. 

How will you learn

During the teaching days in Milan, you will engage with a diverse group of international experts who will converge to share their insights and professional experience. These sessions are opportunities for dialogue, where you can test ideas and build connections with leading voices in the field. The program also includes company visits in China, offering rare access to production lines and innovation hubs. You will interact with managers shaping the country’s technological landscape. TheChina School will ensure that learning extends well beyond the classroom, building lasting professional and personal connections.

Admission

The China School “China’s Hi-Tech Rise: Catching Up amid Competition and Cooperation” is open to a maximum of 30 participants, both students and young professionals. 

Participation options:
 

  • Full program – in person (Milan + China)
  • Milan - online (attend classes online) + China - in person
  • Milan – in person (attend classes on campus in Milan)

  • Milan – online (attend classes remotely)

Your first step to join The China School is an application.
The application deadline is 31 March 2026.
Applications will be evaluated on a first come, first served basis.‍ To apply for The China School, fill the online application form.

We will inform you within three days from the deadline whether your application is successful.

Online Application

Fee

Tuition fees

  • Full program – in person (Milan + China):
    € 2.900
  • Milan - online (attend classes online) + China - in person
    € 2.900
  • Milan – in person: € 900
  • Milan – online: € 600




The tuition fee for the "Full program" and "Milan - online + China - in person" program covers:

  • check All lectures in Milan
  • check Direct flight Milan-Beijing (17 July 2026) + direct flight Shanghai-Shenzhen + flights Shenzhen-Beijing, Beijing-Milan (29 July 2026)
  • check Ten nights’ hotel accommodation in China (double room, with breakfast included, in quality hotels)
  • check All lectures, company visits and guided tours in China
  • check All shuttle bus journeys in China
  • check A welcome dinner and a farewell dinner in China
  • check

The tuition fee doesn’t cover:

  • close The accommodation in Milan
  • close Meals in Milan
  • close Transportations in Milan, including the transfer to Malpensa airport on 17 July, which participants must provide by themselves
  • close Health insurance

The fee is not refundable or adjustable under any circumstance.
The fee for the "Full program" and "Milan - online + China - in person" program can be paid by bank transfer, in two installments: 900 euro (down payment) by 10 April 2026, and 2.000 euro (balance) by 1 June 2026. The fee for the "Milan - in person" and "Milan - online" program must be paid in a single installment by April 10, 2026.

Contact

If you need further clarifications, you can contact us with a WhatsApp text message at this number +39 3493388070 
or send us an email at segreteria@cscc.it

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Faq

The China School is an international program that combines lectures, company visits, and cultural experiences. The China School is organized by the Research Center on Contemporary China together with POLIMI Graduate School of Management. It is designed for university students and young professionals who want to deepen their understanding of China's hi-tech rise, with sessions held in Milan, Shanghai, Shenzhen. 

The program is open to university students and young professionals. 

The program will take place in Milan (July 14–16, 2026) and in China (July 18–28, 2026). In China, students will stay in Shanghai and Shenzhen, with company visits also scheduled in Hangzhou and Suzhou.

Applicants can choose among different participation options: Full program – in person (Milan + China) 14-28 July 2026; Milan - online (attend classes online) + China - in person 14-28 July 2026; Milan – in person (attend classes on campus in Milan) 14-16 July 2026; Milan – online (attend classes remotely) 14-16 July 2026.

 

Lectures on Chinese technology, innovation, economy, international relations and politics;

company visits to major Chinese and international corporations;

excursions to historical landmarks and modern institutions;

networking activities.

Our course is taught in English.

No knowledge of Chinese is required.

Applications can be submitted online through this website. 

The China School provides accommodation only in China. The accommodation included in the fee is a shared twin room in a quality hotel (breakfast included). If you prefer a single room (available at an additional cost), please indicate this when submitting your application, in the "special requirements" field.

It depends on the participant’s nationality. We recommend checking the website of the People’s Republic of China embassy in your country and coordinating with our office (segreteria@cscc.it).

China is a safe country and the program prioritizes participants' safety. Staff are available and all activities are supervised. We strongly recommend obtaining health insurance before departure, as medical expenses in China can otherwise be high in case of illness.

For further details, you can contact us via e-mail at: segreteria@cscc.it or whatsapp message: 0039 3493388070
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