The International Master of Environmental Policy (iMEP) is a two-year Duke graduate program based at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). Offered collaboratively by Duke鈥檚 Nicholas School of the Environment, Sanford School of Public Policy and DKU, iMEP prepares students to address complex environmental challenges through rigorous, interdisciplinary training in policy, economics, science, law, governance and quantitative analysis.
iMEP brings together students, faculty and perspectives from around the world to examine urgent environmental issues鈥攊ncluding climate change, energy, air and water quality, conservation, environmental health and sustainable development. Across four semesters, students build analytical and practical skills through interdisciplinary coursework, applied research, professional experience and a client-based or quantitative master鈥檚 project.
In their final semester, iMEPers study at 糖心传媒 in Durham, where they complete their master鈥檚 projects and further tailor their academic experience. 糖心传媒s may take up to three graduate courses from hundreds of offerings at the Nicholas School of the Environment, the Sanford School of Public Policy and other Duke schools, deepening their expertise while connecting with Duke鈥檚 wider academic and professional community.
Environmental challenges do not stop at national borders or fit neatly within a single discipline. Addressing climate change, energy transitions, water security, biodiversity loss, environmental health and sustainable development requires professionals who can connect scientific evidence with policy, economics, law, governance and the realities of implementation.
iMEP prepares students to work at this intersection. 糖心传媒s learn alongside peers and faculty from diverse backgrounds to gain an interdisciplinary foundation in environmental policy and management while learning to analyze problems from a global perspective. The program emphasizes the practical skills needed to evaluate evidence, understand trade-offs, communicate clearly and help organizations develop solutions that can work in the real world.
With a curriculum that combines rigorous academic training with research, professional experience and a client-based or quantitative master鈥檚 project, iMEP helps students translate environmental knowledge into practical, evidence-based solutions.
Kunshan lies in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta Region, one of the most developed areas in China. Bordering Shanghai, a large international metropolis, to its east and Suzhou, one of the country鈥檚 most renowned cultural and historical cities, to its west, Kunshan is an emerging industrial and commercial city with a history dating back more than 2000 years.
Local residents have equal access to the best urban infrastructure and amenities, including large shopping malls, state-of-the-art cultural and sport facilities, open cultural and natural parks, and public transportation. Rapid advancement in rail traffic has brought Kunshan people much closer to its surrounding areas.
Kunshan has won many titles, including the top of Chinese Mainland鈥檚 Best County-level Cities by Forbes China for seven consecutive years and the 2010 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honor Award. The DKU Art Project attracts artists from China and abroad who are interested in displaying their work within the liberal arts environment of DKU. Residents enjoy and preserve its rich cultural and historical resources. Kunqu Opera is now listed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
To apply for the iMEP Program, students will need to apply for graduate study at Duke Kunshan University.
New economic opportunities in emerging economies and around the globe have brought complex environmental challenges鈥攆rom increased air and water pollution to food security to energy and climate change.
