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.

  1. InteGrid: InteGrid - Demonstration of smart grid, storage and system integration technologies with increasing share of renewables: distribution system

    Bögel, P. M. (Project manager, academic), Escudero Guirado, C. (Project manager, academic), Valor, C. (Project manager, academic), Giersiepen, A. N. (Project staff), Koronen, C. (Project staff), Mäkivierikko, A. (Project manager, academic), Nilsson, A. E. (Project staff) & Shahrokni, H. (Project staff)

    01.02.1630.06.18

    Project: Research

  2. SENet: Social and ecological networks supporting biodiversity and food security

    Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic) & Bergsten, A. (Project manager, academic)

    Europäische Union

    15.01.1617.03.18

    Project: Research

  3. CAPFLO - Local resilience capacity building for flood mitigation

    Newig, J. (Project manager, academic) & Kochskämper, E. (Project staff)

    Europäische Union

    01.01.1630.06.19

    Project: Research

  4. Combined effects of altitude, fire and biotic interactions on the regeneration of subtropical mountain forest species in Central Argentina

    von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Hensen, I. (Project manager, academic), Renison, D. (Partner) & Marcora, P. I. (Project manager, academic)

    German Research Foundation

    01.01.1605.10.20

    Project: Research

  5. BISS-FDS: Fühlen Denken Sprechen: Professionalisierung alltagsintegrierter sprachlicher Bildung bei ein- und mehrsprachlich aufwachsenden Kindern

    Salisch, M. (Project manager, academic), Mähler, C. (Project manager, academic), Cloos, P. (Project manager, academic) & Koch, K. (Project manager, academic)

    01.01.1631.01.20

    Project: Research

  6. SchulStark-Feriencamp

    Salisch, M. (Project manager, academic) & Webersik, J. (Coordination)

    01.01.1615.05.17

    Project: Teaching

  7. 2030+: Zukunftsstadt Lüneburg 2030+

    Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Vilsmaier, U. (Project manager, academic), Luthardt, P. (Coordination) & Prien-Ribcke, S. (Partner)

    23.11.1531.03.18

    Project: Transfer (R&D project)

  8. Planerische, technische und ökologische Anforderungen an das Freileitungsrecht

    Lauer, J. J. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)

    02.11.15 → …

    Project: Dissertation project