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. 2014
  2. Published

    Local neighborhood competition following an extraordinary snow break event: Implications for tree-individual growth

    Lang, A. C., Härdtle, W., Bruelheide, H. & Oheimb, G., 2014, In: iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry. 7, 1, p. 19-24 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Marktorientiertes Nachhaltigkeitscontrolling

    Schaltegger, S., 2014, Sustainable Marketing Management: Grundlagen und Cases. Meffert, H., Kenning, P. & Kirchgeorg, M. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Gabler Verlag, p. 271-287 17 p.

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

  4. Published

    Middle Pleistocene lake shore environments and archaeological sites of Schöningen, Lower Saxony, Germany

    Urban, B., van Kolfschoten, T. & Serangeli, J., 2014, Abstracts: 2014 Burgos 1-7- Sept. UISPP, Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques; XVII World UISPP Congress. Universidad de Burgos, Vol. 17. p. 861-862 2 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Mobile Kommunikation - Umweltbewusst handeln: Materialien für Lehrkräfte Klassen 5 bis 8

    Fischer, D., Bookhagen, B., Niehoff, S. & Nordmann, J., 2014, Berlin: Informationszentrum Mobilfunk (IZMF). 12 p. (Mobilfunk im Unterricht)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCompendium/lecture notesEducation

  6. Published

    Modeling High Aswan Dam Reservoir Morphology Using Remote Sensing to Reduce Evaporation

    Elba, E., Farghaly, D. & Urban, B., 2014, In: International Journal of Geosciences. 5, 2, p. 156-169 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Modellierung von klimainduzierten Veränderungen des Bodenwasserhaushalts von Auenböden an der unteren Mittelelbe.

    Scharnke, M., Krüger, F., Urban, B. & Schneider, W., 2014, Klimafolgenanpassung im Biosphärenreservat Niedersächsische Elbtalaue: Modellregion für nachhaltige Entwicklung. Prüter, J. & Keienburg, T. (eds.). Hamburg: TuTech Verlag, p. 35-43 9 p. (Berichte aus den KLIMZUG-NORD Modellgebieten; vol. 5).

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

  8. Published

    Motive und Eigenschaften von Unternehmensgründer(inne)n

    Halberstadt, J., 2014, In: Berufsbildung : Zeitschrift für Praxis und Theorie in Betrieb und Schule. 147, p. 16-18 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Multifunctional Agricultural Policies – Pathways towards Sustainable Rural Development?

    Mölders, T., 2014, In: International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food. 21, 1, p. 97-114 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Nachhaltige Entwicklung durch Bildung

    Stoltenberg, U., 2014, In: Natur und Landschaft. 89, Jubiläumsausgabe, p. 21-25 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesEducationpeer-review

  11. Published

    Nachhaltige Ernährung im Wertediskurs: Beiträge einer Hochschulbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Rieckmann, M., Fischer, D. & Richter, S., 2014, Perspektive Nahrungsmittelethik. Quandt, J. H., Schank, C. & Vorbohle, K. (eds.). München: Hampp Verlag, p. 29–58 30 p.

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