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.
A-SYM: The role of (non-)synchronous coordination and its quantification in joint action
Wallot, S. (Project manager, academic), Mønster, D. (Project manager, academic), Leonardi, G. (Project manager, academic) & Gordon, I. (Project manager, academic)
01.07.21 → 30.06.25
Project: Research
The Sufficiency Perspective on Climate Change Mitigation - Policy Measures towards Transformation in Germany
Hartmann, E. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project staff)
01.10.23 → …
Project: Dissertation project
Time matters. Unlocking the transformative potential of strategic approaches towards a more sustainable metal use
Weiser, A. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project staff) & Kümmerer, K. (Project staff)
01.01.15 → 31.03.19
Project: Dissertation project
ETH-Coffee: Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy: A Scenario Analysis for the Jimma Coffee Landscape in Ethiopia
Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Schultner, J. (Project manager, academic), Abson, D. (Project manager, academic), Duguma, D. W. (Project manager, academic), Jiren, T. S. (Project staff) & Brück, M. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.11.19 → 31.08.23
Project: Research
TP-Z "Coordination", Jena; Koordinationsmittel zu Plant-insect interactions, flower traits, and pollination along an experimental plant diversity gradient (FOR 1451 - Teilprojekt 03)
Klein, A.-M. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.12 → 10.09.13
Project: Research
TRACE: TRACE – TRAit-environment interactions driving elevational range expansions under ClimatE change
Haider, S. (Project manager, academic) & Ratier Backes, A. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.22 → 31.12.23
Project: Research
Training Programme „Sustainable Consumption and Global Justice – Perspectives for Sustainability through Academic North-South Cooperation“
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Rieckmann, M. (Project manager, academic) & Aguirre, P. (Partner)
20.08.09 → 19.03.10
Project: Transfer (professional training)
Training Programme „Sustainable University Development“
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Rieckmann, M. (Project manager, academic) & Aguirre, P. (Partner)
01.02.11 → 14.05.11
Project: Transfer (professional training)
Global TraPs: Transdisciplinary Processes for Sustainable Phosphorus Management
Vilsmaier, U. (Partner) & Lang, D. J. (Partner)
01.01.10 → 31.12.15
Project: Research
TraVo: Transformation in Ökonomie und Politik: Teilvorhaben 2: Nachhaltigkeitswissenschafliche Ansätze und Geschlechterverhältnisse in der Transformationsdebatte
Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic), Moths, K. (Project staff), Amri-Henkel, A. (Project staff) & Lenz, C. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.08.15 → 30.10.16
Project: Research