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. 2007
  2. Published
  3. Published

    Kompetenzen und Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Michelsen, G., 2007, Umweltbildung im Sport: Dokumentation des 14. Symposiums zur Nachhaltigen Entwicklung des Sports vom 07. - 08. Dezember 2006 in Bodenheim, Rhein. Neuerburg, H.-J. & Wilken, T. (eds.). Frankfurt am Main: Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund , p. 17-26 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  4. Published

    Konzeptionelle Grundlagen zur Verbesserung von Produktionsprozessen durch Kopplung von Simulations- und Optimierungsverfahren

    Lambrecht, H., Möller, A. & Schmidt, M., 2007, Simulation in Umwelt- und Geowissenschaften: Workshop der GI-Fachgruppe "Simulation in den Umwelt- und Geowissenschaften. Wittmann , J. & Wohlgemuth , V. (eds.). Shaker Verlag, Vol. 110. (ASIM-Mitteilung: Berichte aus der Umweltinformatik; no. 110).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  5. Published
  6. Published

    Kulturelle Vielfalt und Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Stoltenberg, U., 2007, Kulturelle Vielfalt - Unser gemeinsamer Reichtum. Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission, p. 241-246 6 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  7. Published

    Kultur-Evolution: Partizipation und Nachhaltigkeit

    Heinrichs, H., 2007, Handbuch Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation: Grundlagen und Praxis. Godemann, J. & Michelsen, G. (eds.). 2 ed. München: oekom verlag GmbH, p. 715-726 12 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    KUNTIKUM: Klimatrends und nachhaltige Tourismusentwicklung in Küsten- und Mittelgebirgsregionen: Produkt und Infrastruktur-Innovation durch kooperative Lernprozesse und strategische Entscheidungsfindung

    Heinrichs, H., Jetzkowitz, J., Kreilkamp, E., Matzarakis, A., Möller, A. & Michelsen, G., 2007, Proceedings zur 6. Fachtagung BIOMET des Fachausschusses Biometeorologie der Deutschen Meteorologischen Gesellschaft e.V.. Matzarakis, A. & Mayer, H. (eds.). Freiburg: Meteorologisches Institut der Universität Freiburg, p. 87-93 7 p. (Berichte des Meteorologischen Institutes der Universität Freiburg; vol. 16).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  9. Published

    Learning from the richness of diversity: development of an interdisciplinary, intercultural Master's programme on sustainability

    Rieckmann, M., Michelsen, G., Lansu, A. & van Dam-Mieras, R., 2007, Crossing boundaries: innovative learning für sustainable development in higher education. Kraker, J. D. (ed.). Frankfurt am Main: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften, p. 211-226 16 p. (Higher education for sustainability ; vol. 2).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  10. Published

    Lokale Agenda 21 und die "Eine Welt"

    Rieckmann, M., 2007, Handbuch Nachhaltigkeitskommunikation: Grundlagen und Praxis. Michelsen, G. & Godemann, J. (eds.). 2 ed. München: oekom verlag GmbH, p. 768-778 11 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  11. Published

    Management des universitären Auftrags mit der Sustainability Balanced Scorecard

    Schaltegger, S., 2007, Zukunft Bologna!?: Gender und Nachhaltigkeit als Leitideen für eine neue Hochschulkultur. Dudeck, A. & Jansen-Schulz, B. (eds.). Frankfurt am Main, p. 127-145 19 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch