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. 2018
  2. Published

    Performing Gender, Performing Space. Raumtheoretische Reflexionen zu einer interdisziplinären Forschungskategorie

    Götschel, H., Mölders, T. & Strohmann, N. K., 2018, Wiederherstellen - Unterbrechen - Verändern?: Politiken der (Re-)Produktion. Onnen, C. & Rode-Breymann, S. (eds.). 1 ed. Opladen: Verlag Babara Budrich, p. 73-77 5 p. (L`AGENda; vol. 3).

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

  3. Published

    Pestizidrückstände in ländlichen und urbanen Grund- und Oberflächengewässern

    Olsson, O., Hensen, B., Lange, J., Ulrich, U., Pfannerstill, M., Steinmann, F. & Kümmerer, K., 2018, 51. Essener Tagung für Wasserwirtschaft „Wasserwirtschaft im Umbruch": Tagungsband. Pinnekamp, J. (ed.). Aachen: Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Siedlungswasserwirtschaft an der RWTH Aachen e.V., Vol. 247. p. 55/1-55/11 11 p.

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

  4. Published

    Pflanzengesellschaft des Jahres 2019: Die Glatthaferwiese

    Tischew, S., Dierschke, H., Schwabe, A., Garve, E., Heinken, T., Holzel, N., Bergmeier, E., Remy, D. & Härdtle, W., 2018, In: Tuexenia. 38, p. 287-295 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Politik zwischen Stadt und Land: Die Bedeutung des Ruralen im Streit um Agro-Gentechnik

    Friedrich, B., 2018, Rurbane Landschaften: Perspektiven des Ruralen in einer urbanisierten Welt. Sigrun, L. & Fröhlich-Kulik, M. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 263-274 12 p. (Rurale Topografien; vol. 7).

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

  6. Published

    Pollen und Sporen – Schlüssel zur Vegetation des Eiszeitalters

    Urban, B., 2018, 300.000 Jahre Spitzentechnik.: der altsteinzeitliche Fundplatz Schöningen und die ältesten Speere der Menschheit. Terberger, T., Böhner, U., F. H. & A. K. (eds.). Darmstadt: Theiss Verlag, p. 48-52 5 p. (Edition AiD).

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

  7. Published

    Portfolio optimisation of power futures market: Evidence from France and Germany

    Fianu, E. S., 2018, In: International Journal of Public Policy. 14, 1-2, p. 120-144 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  8. Published

    Quo Vadis, Umweltinformatik? 6. Workshop: Umweltinformatik zwischen Nachhaltigkeit & Wandel (UINW 2018)

    Naumann, S., Voigt, K., Kern, E. & Wohlgemuth, V., 2018, Workshops der INFORMATIK 2018 - Architekturen, Prozesse, Sicherheit und Nachhaltigkeit. Czarnecki, C., Brockmann, C., Sultanow, E., Koschmider, A. & Selzer, A. (eds.). Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V., p. 131-133 3 p. (Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI), Proceedings - Series of the Gesellschaft fur Informatik (GI); vol. 285).

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

  9. Published

    Renewable Energy Resources: How can Science Education Foster an Appropriate Understanding?

    Hüfner, S., Niebert, K. & Abels, S., 2018, Electronic Proceedings of the ESERA 2017 Conference: Research, Practice and Collaboration in Science Education. Finlayson, O., McLoughlin, E., Erduran, S. & Childs, P. (eds.). Dublin: European Science Education Research Association, p. 1076-1089 14 p.

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

  10. Published

    Research in-between: The constitutive role of cultural differences in transdisciplinarity

    Vilsmaier, U., Brandner, V. & Engbers, M., 2018, Transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary education and research. Dieleman, H., Nicolescu, B. & Ertas, A. (eds.). USA: The Academy of Transdisciplinary Learning and Advanced Studies, p. 89-102 14 p.

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

  11. Published

    Researching participation in environmental governance through the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive

    Newig, J., Kochskämper, E., Challies, E. & Jager, N. W., 2018, Participation and Effective Environmental Governance: Evidence from Implementing the European Water Framework Directive. Kochskämper, E., Challies, E., Jager, N. W. & Newig, J. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 3-10 8 p. (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management).

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