The Honours Programme is an extracurricular advanced university course aimed at Master's degree students at the Politecnico di Milano, who are selected through an application and selection process based on their CV and cover letter. The course combines theoretical lessons, study trips (with travel expenses covered), applied research and interaction with public administrations and European networks. Students will learn to develop skills in analysing and designing international and local city science office initiatives, and will help to promote dialogue between universities, public administrations, research centres and local stakeholders. 

Craft offers the Honours Programme Policy and Politics of the City-Science Interface (CSI) with the overall aim of contributing to the penetration of debates and skills related to the science-city interface in Italy, promoting the construction of a stable interface between knowledge production, decision-making processes and public action. 

In particular, it intends to activate an experimental community of practice that includes research institutions and local government institutions, starting from the protagonism of students, who will develop analyses and project proposals on the CSI theme in some Italian cities: analysis of how administrations today acquire and process the knowledge necessary for certain public policies and innovative projects based on data and interdisciplinary methodologies to address contemporary urban challenges.

Lectures/seminars constitute the basic training part of the Honours Programme and are divided into four thematic modules: they integrate theoretical lessons, case studies and testimonials from European experts. The aim is to provide students with conceptual, methodological and critical tools to understand how scientific knowledge can guide public action in contemporary cities. 

The seminars will be accompanied by teaching modules presenting methods and tools related to the theoretical content, which are applicable in real contexts, bringing to the attention of participants significant examples that are potentially transferable to local Italian cases that will be developed in the second part of the course. 

Twenty students will be selected to participate through a specific call for applications.