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.
SBC Kneipp: Sustainability Branding and Communication: Mit Social Media zu einer glaubwürdigen Nachhaltigkeitsmarke
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic) & Mangold, T. (Project staff)
01.10.10 → 03.04.12
Project: Research
Sustainability Communications (Machbarkeitsstudie)
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Godemann, J. (Project manager, academic) & Franz-Balsen, A. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.02 → 31.12.03
Project: Research
Sustainability controlling and reporting in the public sector
Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.11.09 → 30.09.11
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
Sustainability education - capacity building for teachers
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic) & Redman, A. (Project staff)
14.03.17 → 31.05.19
Project: Research
Sustainability governance and transnational corporations: An analysis of global and national governance instruments affecting TNCs in Germany, USA and India
Wedl, I. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.02.10 → 04.05.17
Project: Dissertation project
NIREM: Sustainability Innovations in Regional SMEs
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Japsen, A. (Project manager, academic), Weber, U. (Project staff) & Rudolph, N. S. (Project staff)
01.03.17 → 29.02.20
Project: Other
SLF: Sustainability Leadership Forum
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Petersen, H. (Project staff), Klewitz, J. (Project staff) & Rudolph, N. S. (Project staff)
10.11.04 → 30.04.19
Project: Other
Sustainability Lectures. Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung – Denkanstöße aus anderen europäischen Ländern
Stoltenberg, U. (Project manager, academic) & Holz, V. (Project staff)
16.11.10 → 20.04.12
Project: Scientific event
AutoUni: Sustainability Management in the M.Sc. programme "Sustainable Mobility" of the Volkswagen AutoUni
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic) & Hasenmüller, P. (Project staff)
01.07.04 → 31.12.04
Project: Transfer (professional training)
Sustainability Politics Barometer
Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic) & Laws, N. (Project staff)
01.03.11 → 22.07.15
Project: Research
Sustainable biorefinery concept based on microalgal biomass produced from mixed food waste hydrolysate
Pleißner, D. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.13 → 31.07.14
Project: Research
SusChemTunisia: Sustainable Chemistry for a Sustainable Agriculture
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic), Olsson, O. (Coordination) & Mahjoub, B. (Partner)
01.10.18 → 31.01.19
Project: Research
COMTESS: Sustainable Coastal Land Management: Trade-offs in Ecosystem Services
Baumgärtner, S. (Project manager, academic), Engler, J.-O. (Project staff), Kleyer, M. (Project manager, academic), Giani, L. (Partner), Ahlhorn, F. (Partner), Klenke, T. (Partner), Selck, T. J. (Partner), Stahl, J. (Partner), Oumeraci, H. (Partner), Bronstert, A. (Partner), Jeltsch, F. (Partner), Schröder, B. (Partner), Glatzel, S. (Partner), Miegel, K. (Partner), Ahlheim, M. (Partner) & Stoll-Kleemann, S. (Partner)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.01.11 → 31.07.16
Project: Research
ZIL-Kontakt: Sustainable information logistics for digital contact tracing of infectious diseases
Drews, P. (Project manager, academic), Funk, B. (Project manager, academic), Heger, J. (Project manager, academic), Lehr, D. (Project manager, academic), Zimmer, M. P. (Coordination), Kortmann, F. (Project staff), Fassmeyer, P. (Project staff) & Usko, N. (Project manager, academic)
21.05.21 → 31.03.23
Project: Research
Sustainable Solutions in Intergenerational Conflicts
Majer, J. (Project manager, academic), Schütte, C. (Project staff) & Trötschel, R. (Partner)
01.05.19 → …
Project: Research
SSCM: Sustainable Supply Chain Management. State of Practice in German Companies
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic) & Harms, D. (Project staff)
15.06.08 → 09.09.10
Project: Research
Sustainable University: Sustainable University
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Adomßent, M. (Coordination), Godemann, J. (Coordination), Burandt, S. (Project staff), Barth, M. (Project staff) & Rieckmann, M. (Project staff)
01.07.04 → 31.12.07
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Symmetric light - Experimentum Crucis 2010. Rauminstallation zum 200. Jubiläum von Goethes Farbenlehre
Grebe-Ellis, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.09 → 16.05.11
Project: Research
Systemdienstleistungen und Erneuerbare Energien – Über das Recht der Versorgungssicherheit im engeren Sinne und die Entwicklung des Regulierungsrechts
Meister, M. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.13 → …
Project: Dissertation project