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

    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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. Published

    Uncertainty in the river export modelling of pesticides and transformation products

    Gassmann, M., Khodorkovsky, M., Friedler, E., Dubowski, Y. & Olsson, O., 01.2014, In: Environmental Modelling & Software. 51, p. 35-44 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Degradation of β-blockers in hospital wastewater by means of ozonation and Fe2+/ozonation

    Wilde, M. L., Montipó, S. & Martins, A. F., 01.01.2014, In: Water Research. 48, 1, p. 280-295 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Developed materials for thermal energy storage: synthesis and characterization

    Druske, M.-M., Fopah Lele, A., Korhammer, K., Rammelberg, H., Wegscheider, N., Ruck, W. & Schmidt, T., 01.01.2014, In: Energy Procedia. 61, p. 96-99 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Dissipation and recycling: What losses, what dissipation impacts, and what recycling options?

    Yarime, M., Carliell-Marquet, C., Hellums, D. T., Kalmykova, Y., Lang, D. J., Bao Le, Q., Malley, D., Morf, L. S., Matsubae, K., Matsuo, M., Ohtake, H., Omlin, A. P., Petzet, S., Scholz, R. W., Shiroyama, H., Ulrich, A. E. & Watts, P., 01.01.2014, Sustainable Phosphorus Management: A Global Transdisciplinary Roadmap. Scholz, R. W., Roy, A. H., Brand, F. S., Hellums, D. T. & Ulrich, A. E. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 247-274 28 p.

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

  9. Published

    Diversity, threats and conservation of European wood-pastures

    Bergmeier, E. & Röllig, M., 01.01.2014, European Wood-pastures in Transition: A social-ecological approach. Hartel, T. & Plieninger, T. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 19-38 20 p. 2

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Educating Change Agents for Sustainability: Learnings from the First Sustainability Management Master of Business Administration

    Hesselbarth, C. & Schaltegger, S., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, 1, p. 24-36 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Emerging Areas in Research on Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Management education, sustainable consumption and perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe

    Adomßent, M., Fischer, D., Godemann, J., Otte, I., Rieckmann, M., Timm, J.-M. & Herzig, C., 01.01.2014, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 62, 1, p. 1-7 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review