Prof. Francesco Causone is an Associate Professor at the Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano. He holds a Master’s in Architecture, a PhD in Technical Innovation for the Built Environment, and is a LEED AP. He received the REHVA Young Scientist Award in 2012. He worked as a Sustainability Researcher at Foster + Partners in London and has led several European research projects on energy and housing. He has published over 60 papers on building energy and comfort.

The course originates from the Sustainable Development salon series initiated by Academician Zhiqiang Wu in 2007 and has since evolved into a university-wide general education course for undergraduate students. Over the years, it has been recognized as a University-Level Distinguished Course, a Shanghai Key Course, and a National First-Class Course. Renowned professors and experts from around the world are invited to deliver interdisciplinary modules covering topics such as future cities, intelligent planning, smart cities, intelligent transportation, and machine learning. The course aims to equip students with a systematic understanding of the development pathways, key objectives, and strategic tasks of new urbanization from various disciplinary perspectives. It fosters a multifaceted approach to comprehending the principles of sustainable smart urbanization, enhances students' ability to grasp the essence and development patterns of modern urbanization, and cultivates innovative talents capable of leading the future of national urbanization and smart city development.