Every year, Politecnico di Milano selects five research projects with a high social impact and, with the financial contribution of people who choose to allocate their 5x1000 Irpef donations to the University, supports them during the implementation of concrete and incisive 'pilot experiences': To this aim, it identifies certain social, cultural, technical and technological needs requiring a solution in the short term. In 2023, the five award-winning proposals worked on the Off Campus spaces managed by Politecnico and their contexts, with a view to experimenting with local services and responding to situations of gap and need in Milan.
Off.Campus - il Cantiere per le Periferie is an initiative by Politecnico di Milano aiming to bring the university 'out of the university': the idea of a responsible university, attentive to social challenges, open and supportive of territories and communities, is put into practice thanks to the collaboration involving our students and researchers and the inhabitants of the city neighbourhoods.
We have created real Politecnico centres where, instead of being in the classroom, experiments are carried out in the field, on the road: innovative teaching, focused on work in real contexts as a means of developing new skills; responsible research, attentive to the inclusiveness of knowledge production processes; co-planning with local stakeholders, to implement interventions with a positive impact on the community. The aim is to have a direct impact in activating services for the territory and neighbourhoods and training activities addressed to local communities.