Academic Foundation. People Impact.

For more than 35 years, GIESD has been a recognized leader in advancing sustainable and environmentally responsible solutions to global challenges. As a non-governmental organization (NGO), GIESD is highly regarded for its strategic investments in academic research and its hands-on involvement in the implementation of real-world projects
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GIESD – Global Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development, Inc.

We serve as a central hub for ecological inquiry, bringing together academic scholars, research professionals, and industry partners.

From Academics to Acceleration

We heavily invest resources and explore opportunities on the foundational research on causation and correlation.

Building Networks for Eco-Systems

We have established strong relationships to top-tier universities and research groups.

Exchange beyond Cultures and Borders

Over three decades we have established trusted partnerships between Asian and North American institutions.

Deeply rooted in environmental and societal causes since 1995.

Since the establishment of the Global Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development (GIESD). Inc., GIESD has been playing an important role in the training of leaders and professionals who are prepared to confront the environmental challenges to sustainable development of the day.
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GIESD is founded by a group of faculty members from Yale University of U.S.A. and Tsinghua University of China. GIESD has initiated pioneering programs while coalescing and coordinating activities related to global environment and sustainable development at the two universities and beyond.
Read our full Mission Statement

Focus and dedication resulting in real-world impact.

Our work targets programs and projects focused on the following areas:

Environmental Sustainability

  • Forestry and biodiversity
  • Water management
  • Food supply chain and agro-tech
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Balanced Economic Development

  • Smart cities (energy usage, water usage, optimization planning)
  • Urban crisis management
  • Waste reduction and recycling
  • Plastic pollution (bio plastics, plastic alternatives)
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Promoting Sino US collaboration and its people equity and welfare

  • Leadership development of present and future leaders
  • Exchange opportunities for high potential/lower socio-economic students
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Igniting strategic thinking to deliver long-term sustainability value.

Our work targets programs and projects focused on the following areas:

Students

Academic & Educational Exchange

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Prodessionals

Leadership Training

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Academics

Scientific Research & Development

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Ecological Civilization

Innovation in Theory

Ecological Civilization represents a transformative theoretical framework that redefines the relationship between humanity, nature, and development.

It integrates ecological values into economic, social, and political systems, promoting innovation that aligns technological progress with environmental sustainability.

As a guiding concept, it advances new models of growth that prioritize long-term planetary well-being alongside human prosperity.

Pillars of Performance

Geographic Distribution of the University of Gera’s Projects in China

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  • Collaboration Sites

Deep Dive

Explore GIESD's holistic approach about sustainability goals and urban development in greater details.
Discover our complete roadmap here

Leadership Team

FirstName1 LastName1

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FirstName2 LastName2

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FirstName3 LastName3

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Meet the whole GIESD Leadership Team

Mission Statement

At GIESD big changes start with a simple click

Are you eager to make your move towards a more sustainable and responsible future? Do you need support in planing and realising your intentions into real live impact?
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Our Mission

Our mission is to advance sustainable and healthy eco-environmental development worldwide, with a particular focus on urbanization.

We do this by translating academic research into real-world applications that support environmental sustainability, responsible interdisciplinary ecosystems, and balanced urban social, economic, and environmental development.

At the core of our work are natural resources and people, recognizing that human well-being and environmental health are deeply interconnected.

  • Through leadership education and executive training, foster leadership capacity and conduct innovative programs and activities in research, education and outreaching
  • Support worldwide sustainable development by facilitating the transmission of new knowledge and understanding from the academia to practitioners
  • Create and test new tools and methods of knowledge dissemination, leadership education and sustainable development
  • Increase the accessibility of underprivileged and marginalized population to the highest quality education at Yale, Tsinghua, and other institutions.

Our Values and Approach

We are committed to promoting leading scientific and applied research through academic, research, and educational exchange among institutions and individuals in the United States, China, and other regions around the world.

People and their long-term development have always been at the center of our mission, a principle that has guided our work since the late 1990s.

This commitment is reflected in our long-standing and innovative programs, including the Sustainable Development Leadership Program (SDLP, 1996–2002), the Yale–Tsinghua Environment and Sustainable Development Leadership Program (ESDLP, 2000–2013), and the Elite Education Practice (EEP, 2000–present).

In parallel, we have led and supported applied research initiatives such as Urban Environment Crisis Management (UECM, 2005–2016), the Urban Environmental Resource Initiative (UERI, 2014–present), and many others.

Our Impact

We are committed to promoting leading scientific and applied research through academic, research, and educational exchange among institutions and individuals in the United States, China, and other regions around the world.

People and their long-term development have always been at the center of our mission, a principle that has guided our work since the late 1990s.

This commitment is reflected in our long-standing and innovative programs, including the Sustainable Development Leadership Program (SDLP, 1996–2002), the Yale–Tsinghua Environment and Sustainable Development Leadership Program (ESDLP, 2000–2013), and the Elite Education Practice (EEP, 2000–present).

In parallel, we have led and supported applied research initiatives such as Urban Environment Crisis Management (UECM, 2005–2016), the Urban Environmental Resource Initiative (UERI, 2014–present), and many others.

Core Activities

  • Student and Faculty Exchanges
  • Forestry & Sustainable Development Leadership Program (FSDLP)
  • Western (China) Sustainable Development Leadership Program (WSDLP)
  • Yale-Tsinghua Environment & Sustainable Development Leadership Program (ESDLP) - operation and scholarship support
  • Special Program for Administrators and Researchers from (Chinese) Kev-institutions (SPARK)
  • Study in Anaerobic Digestion of Bio-waste and Biogas Recycling in China
  • Natural Resources Management and Social Ecology in Developing Societies - Shareholding Integrated Forest Tenure (SHIFT) System
  • Systematic Research on the Three-Gorge Ecosystems (SR-Three Gorges)
  • From Origin to Estuary: Sustainable Ecosystem Management of Yangtze River
  • China's Urban Development Report (CUDR)
  • Urban Ecology and Environmental Planning, Desian, and Values in Shanghai - Shanghai Eco-city Development for the 21" Century (SHECO)

At GIESD big changes start with a simple click

Are you eager to make your move towards a more sustainable and responsible future? Do you need support in planing and realising your intentions into real live impact?
Connect with GIESD now

Promoting Sino US collaboration and its people equity and welfare

At GIESD big changes start with a simple click

Are you eager to make your move towards a more sustainable and responsible future? Do you need support in planing and realising your intentions into real live impact?
Connect with GIESD now

Scientific Research & Development

At GIESD big changes start with a simple click

Are you eager to make your move towards a more sustainable and responsible future? Do you need support in planing and realising your intentions into real live impact?
Connect with GIESD now

Rules, Design and Evaluation of Urban Ecology and Environment – Shanghai Eco-City Construction in the 21st Century (SHECO)

  • The SHECO project was jointly initiated by GIESD, the Antai School of Management, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.  The project mainly studied human and natural resource management and potential environmental degradation in the context of the city through the analysis of relevant cases in Shanghai.

Study on the Ecosystem of the Sanxia Region (ESR)

  • The study focused on evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impact of the Sanxia Dam Project in central China.  Over a period of 3 years, experts from China and the United States conducted systematic research on the ecosystem of the Sanxia region with an emphasis on detecting and forecasting environmental and social impact, so as to ensure the sustainable utilization of resources and provide scientific basis for leadership decision making.

Research on natural resource management and social ecology in transitional society – Share-Holding Integrated Forest Tenure (SHIFT)

  • Study was based on 20 years of forestry reform and innovation in Sanming, Fujian Province, China.  The SHIFT project was initiated by Yale University students and proferros and originated from a Yale University rural development project focused on private forest ownership and enhanced forest management.  Under the share-holding integrated forest tenure, villagers played the role of shareholders in the community forestry management and took on forest management rights.
  • GIESD’s Chinese and US experts studied the application, promotion, adaptation, and reform of SHIFT in China according to the changing social, economic, cultural and biophysical environment.

Baishuijiang giant panda habitat protection and community co-management sustainable development project (PRC-CPSD)

  • The sheer scale of urban population and rapid economic growth in China, and the resource dependent character of its development process threaten both the habitats and lives of endangered species in the nation, especially its national symbol, the giant panda. For various reasons, the specifically designated BSJ Nature Reserves were no longer meeting their purpose of giant panda protection. One of the major reasons was the rising tensions between residents and animals in the same area.
  • To this end, GIESD, together with Lanzhou University, Beijing Forestry University, and Tsinghua University, launched the Baishujiang Giant Panda Habitat Protection and Community Partner Sustainable Development program, striving to eliminate the conflict between human and animal survival, and development in the reserve through the public-private partnership model (PPP model).  At the same time, through the student exchange plan, the project cultivated a group of qualified leaders in related fields to truly show the long-term harmonious development between humans and nature.

At GIESD big changes start with a simple click

Are you eager to make your move towards a more sustainable and responsible future? Do you need support in planing and realising your intentions into real live impact?
Connect with GIESD now

Leadership Team

At GIESD big changes start with a simple click

Are you eager to make your move towards a more sustainable and responsible future? Do you need support in planing and realising your intentions into real live impact?
Connect with GIESD now

FirstName1 LastName1

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FirstName2 LastName2

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FirstName3 LastName3

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At GIESD big changes start with a simple click

Are you eager to make your move towards a more sustainable and responsible future? Do you need support in planing and realising your intentions into real live impact?
Connect with GIESD now

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