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

    Workshops mit lokalen Akteuren

    Zimmermann, T., Fröhlich, J., Katz, C. & Porschke, C., 2014, Stadtentwicklung und Klimaanpassung: Klimafolgen, Anpassungskonzepte und Bewusstseinsbildung beispielhaft dargestellt am Einzugsgebiet der Wandse, Hamburg. Kruse, E., Zimmermann, T., Kittel, A., Dickhaut, W., Knieling, J. & Sörensen, C. (eds.). Hamburg: TuTech Verlag, p. 188-191 4 p. (Berichte aus den KLIMZUG-NORD Modellgebieten; vol. 2).

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

  3. Published
  4. Published

    Zukunftsstrategie Nachhaltiges Unternehmertum: Vom konventionellen Management zum Sustainable Entrepreneurship

    Grünberg-Bochard, J. & Schaltegger, S., 2014, Managementperspektiven für die Zivilgesellschaft des 21. Jahrhunderts: Management als Liberal Art. von Müller, C. & Zinth, C.-P. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Gabler Verlag, p. 133-152 20 p.

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

  5. Published

    Zur UN-Dekade an Hochschulen: Es geht voran, aber nur langsam!

    Michelsen, G., 2014, Hochschulen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung: Netzwerke fördern, Bewusstsein verbreiter. Bonn: Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission, p. 10-11 2 p.

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

  6. Published

    Zusammenführende Diskussion

    Katz, C. & Molitor, H., 2014, Anpassung an regionale Klimafolgen kommunizieren: Konzepte, Herausforderungen und Perspektiven. Beese, K., Fekkak, M., Katz, C., Körner, C. & Molitor, H. (eds.). München: oekom verlag GmbH, p. 409-460 52 p.

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

  7. Published

    Designing forest biodiversity experiments: General considerations illustrated by a new large experiment in subtropical China

    Bruelheide, H., Nadrowski, K., Aßmann, T., Bauhus, J., Both, S., Buscot, F., Chen, X.-Y., Ding, B.-Y., Durka, W., Erfmeier, A., Gutknecht, J., Guo, D., Guo, L.-D., Härdtle, W., He, J.-S., Klein, A.-M., Kühn, P., Liang, Y., Liu, X., Michalski, S. G., Niklaus, P. A., Pei, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Scholten, T., Schuldt, A., Seidler, G., Trogisch, S., Oheimb, G., Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Yang, X., Yu, M., Zhang, S., Zhou, H., Fischer, M., Ma, K. & Schmid, B., 01.2014, In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 5, 1, p. 74-89 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Geochemical Assessment of Sediment Quality Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Ennore Creek, North of Chennai, SE Coast of India.

    Muthumanickam, J., Nagarajan, R., Velmurugan, P. M., Giridharan, L., Neetha, V. & Urban, B., 01.2014, In: Journal of Science and Technology. 22, 1, p. 315-328 14 p., JST-0407-2012.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Multifunctionality and biodiversity: Ecosystem services in temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, USA

    Brandt, P., Abson, D., DellaSala, D. A., Feller, R. & von Wehrden, H., 01.2014, In: Biological Conservation. 169, p. 362-371 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Online-Trainings zur Stressbewältigung - eine neue Chance zur Gesundheitsförderung im Lehrerberuf?

    Lehr, D., Eckert, M., Baum, K., Thiart, H., Heber, E., Berking, M., Sieland, B. & Ebert, D. D., 01.2014, In: Lehrerbildung auf dem Prüfstand. 7, 2, p. 190-212 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Space and habitat use by wild Bactrian camels in the Transaltai Gobi of southern Mongolia

    Kaczensky, P., Adiya, Y. A., von Wehrden, H., Mijiddorj, B., Walzer, C., Güthlin, D., Ebkhbileg, D. & Reading, R. P., 01.2014, In: Biological Conservation. 169, p. 311-318 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review