School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
Organisation profile
Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.
Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.
Main research areas
Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.
Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.
Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.
We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.
Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.
Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.
With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.
Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses
In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.
Lipidprofil: Das Lipidprofil des initialen oralen Biofilms - Charakterisierung und prophylaktische Modifikation
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic) & Reich, M. (Project staff)
01.11.10 → 16.07.13
Project: Research
Move'n'Sense: Sense of place and mobility in cross-border contexts – essentialist and progressive perspectives
Gottwald, S. (Project manager, academic) & Kołodyńska, I. (Project manager, academic)
05.11.21 → 02.01.25
Project: Research
Project “Soils in the Media: Soil Topics on Youtube”
Lütkemöller, D. (Project manager, academic), Luenststaeden, B. (Project staff), Skubowius, K. M. (Project staff) & Beier, A. (Project staff)
01.03.13 → 01.12.13
Project: Other
Sustainable Solutions in Intergenerational Conflicts
Majer, J. (Project manager, academic), Schütte, C. (Project staff) & Trötschel, R. (Partner)
01.05.19 → …
Project: Research
Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung – am Beispiel des Themenfelds Mobilität. Ein Modellseminar zur Weiterbildung von Multiplikatorinnen und Multiplikatoren für Schulentwicklung und für Lehrpersonen in Studienseminaren für die 2. Phase der LehrerInnenbildung
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.08 → 31.12.08
Project: Research
Sustainability economic analysis of a large-scale ancient infrastructure project for irrigated agriculture: the Habur Canal in Assyria in the 13th century BC.
Baumgärtner, S. (Project manager, academic) & Biehler, A. M. (Project staff)
01.01.12 → 30.06.13
Project: Research
Umweltwissenschaftliche Institutionenentwicklung und Aufbau universitärer Umweltbildung
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.00 → 31.12.00
Project: Research
Mit dem Bus zur Schule
Stoltenberg, U. (Project manager, academic), Berthold, A. (Project staff), Baum, R. (Project staff) & Röpke, S. (Project staff)
01.07.05 → 31.12.05
Project: Other
Dow Green Chemistry Education Award
Zuin Zeidler, V. (Project manager, academic)
25.04.25 → 31.12.25
Project: Individual grant
Evaluation des Greenteam-Konzepts in Deutschland
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Degenhardt, L. (Project manager, academic), Godemann, J. (Project manager, academic) & Molitor, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.99 → 31.08.00
Project: Research