With the support of the Ministry of Commerce of People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM) and the coordinated efforts by the UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD), the  International Degree Programme in Environment Management and Sustainable Development was established since 2015.  In 5 years, 136 government and enterprises’ officials from 46 recipient countries have enrolled to the programme.  

In 2006, IESD and College of Environmental Science and Engineering launched the International Master and Ph.D. Degree Programmes, which have attracted 525 international students from 89 countries, all over Asia and Africa, Europe, the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Apart from the regular academic content, IESD also invited professors from foreign universities, representatives from UN and international organizations, domestic and foreign enterprises to share their experiences and exchange knowledge with the students. In addition, IESD continues to be very active inorganizing various types of academic talks and interactive activities to promote traditional Chinese culture and to provide a better understanding of the history of Tongji University as well as the history of the People's Republic of China.

In this 2020 graduation season, 35 international students from 21 countries graduated. Most of them will return to their home countries to pursue their careers while some graduates will continue to stay in China for a Ph.D. study. IESD alumni are currently active in international organizations, national government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, corporate departments and other industries.