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.
Individual plant growth and branch demography as a function of species richness and composition (FOR 891 - Teilprojekt 02)
Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic)
01.02.11 → 26.08.15
Project: Research
Indicators for Education for Sustainable Development
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Adomßent, M. (Project staff) & Burandt, S. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.02.08 → 31.08.10
Project: Research
Pyro-AD: Increasing the energy yield from the integration of anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis
Upham, P. (Project manager, academic)
01.02.13 → 29.09.17
Project: Research
Increasing the application of effective sustainability management methods in SMEs
Hörisch, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.18 → 01.08.19
Project: Research
handprint approach: Increasing positive contributions to sustainability transformations
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic) & Silva, S. (Project staff)
01.10.19 → 31.12.19
Project: Research
ERASMUS Türkei SEMA: Increasing awareness and recognition of sustainability, social and environmental management accounting in academic training and research
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Silva, S. (Project staff) & Beske-Janssen, P. (Project staff)
01.09.15 → 21.02.18
Project: Transfer (professional training)
INPLAMINT II: Increasing agricultural nutrient-use efficiency by optimizing plant–soil-microorganism interactions
Temperton, V. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.04.18 → 31.05.21
Project: Research
INPLAMINT: Increasing agricultural nutrient-use efficiency by optimizing plant-soil-microorganism interactions
Temperton, V. (Project manager, academic), von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Brüggemann, N. (Project manager, academic), Rillig, M. C. (Project manager, academic), Schloter, M. (Project manager, academic), Müller-Lindenlauf, M. (Project manager, academic), Bonkowski, M. (Project manager, academic), Koller, R. (Project manager, academic), Kage, H. (Project manager, academic) & Armbruster, M. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.04.15 → 31.03.18
Project: Research
Unilever: Impulsierung einer nachhaltigen Ernährungsweise
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic) & Wüst, S. (Project staff)
12.09.17 → 30.06.19
Project: Other
Importance of Resource Diversity to stingless bees in Australia
Leonhardt, S. (Coordination)
15.12.10 → 31.01.14
Project: Research