The Design Village launches international campus in Milan, Italy

In India, The Design Village is based out of Noida and offers impact-centric degree programmes in design in collaboration with OP Jindal Global University. It launched its Europe campus, where Indian design education meets European traditions, sustainability, and cultural exchange. Through immersive residencies and transformative programmes, this campus will allow learners to engage with diverse contexts and pressing challenges, shaping the global future of design.

Speaking on the occasion, Lavanya Kumar, Indian Consul General of India to Italy (Milan), said, “It definitely marks a new chapter in India’s higher education history. The Design Village team has already made its presence felt in Italy. I’m sure, given that its extensive linkages with premier educational institutions across the globe, it will surely make a mark within Italy, which I am looking forward to.”

Maria Porro, President Salone del Mobile, said, “It’s a real big emotion for me, we have a big responsibility to open borders and the connections we have been able to create. In the world and the moment we are living the only way to be stable is an open platform with dialogues across the world. It is a very brave dream, we are with you, as this is just a beginning.”

Sourabh Gupta, Founder of The Design Village (TDV), said, “This expansion reflects a deeper academic shift. By bringing together global exposure, interdisciplinary learning, and access to advanced tools, we are preparing students to engage with complex, real-world challenges in meaningful ways.” He added, “Indian design requires global perspectives not for imitation, but to cultivate its distinctive voice in international discourse. Our students will return as practitioners who understand how culture, craft, and innovation intersect across diverse contexts.”

Mr. Sergio Di Nola, President of Fondazione Don Niso Dallavalle, said “I was recently appointed president of Fondazione Don Niso, but I feel the important weight of its legacy and heritage in training tomorrow’s young leaders and I think the alliance with TDV is important to renew this long standing commitment.”Luisa Collina, Vice President Politecnico di Milano Foundation and Board Member Fondazione Don Niso Dallavalle, added “We are here together because this is a brave project. How important it is for design but also our Italian culture. Italian design has always accepted international designers in a very open way, and vice versa, Italian design has travelled the whole world, therefore this project is completely in spirit of what Italian design represents and encourages, that is why it was important for me to see it come through.”

Mridu Sahai, Co-Founder of The Design Village (TDV), said, “We founded TDV on a single understanding: the wicked problems our world faces aren’t Indian, Italian, or European, they’re human problems. Borders mean nothing to them, so they shouldn’t to us.” She added, “We’re not transplanting The Design Village or planting a colonial flag with ready answers. This is reciprocity—mutual transformation, the only internationalism worth building.”

The campus will function as an active academic space from April 2026, bringing together students, practitioners, and institutions from across geographies through a series of short, intensive programmes. These include D-Tours, a design-led journey across Milan and Lombardy; a Creative Offsite focused on digital literacy for the elderly; an International Summer School with TU Delft and Nanyang Technological University; and a Global Summer Internship with Studio Archohm that connects learning with live projects.

A key highlight is the pluralistic residencies programme, developed in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano and designed specifically for TDV students. The programme focuses on collaborative studio practice, material exploration, and cultural exchange, culminating in a public exhibition. The campus will also host a Global Summer Module on Ethical Leadership and Design Thinking, alongside visiting cohorts from institutions such as Pratt Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Xiamen University, and Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, creating a dynamic academic ecosystem.

With this initiative, The Design Village expands its approach to design education beyond geography, placing learning within real cultural and ecological contexts. The Italy campus reflects a shift towards mobility, collaboration, and interdisciplinary thinking, preparing learners to engage with complex global challenges through design.

For more information, visit https://www.thedesignvillage.org/.

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