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

    Priority effects caused by plant order of arrival affect below-ground productivity

    Weidlich, E. W. A., Von Gillhaussen, P., Max, J., Delory, B., Jablonowski, N. D., Rascher, U. & Temperton, V. M., 01.03.2018, In: Journal of Ecology. 106, 2, p. 774-780 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    The renewable energy sector in Afghanistan: Policy and potential

    Fahimi, A. & Upham, P., 01.03.2018, In: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment. 7, 2, 9 p., e280.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The romanian grassland database (RGD): Historical background, current status and future perspectives

    Vassilev, K., Ruprecht, E., Alexiu, V., Becker, T., Beldean, M., Bita-Nicolae, C., Csergo, A. M., Dzhovanova, I., Filipova, E., Frink, J. P., Gafta, D., Georgieva, M., Germany, M. S., Goia, I., Gumus, M., Hennekens, S. M., Janišová, M., Knollová, I., Koleva, V., Kostadinova, S., Kuzmanovic, N., Loos, J., Mardari, C., Michl, T., Neblea, M. A., Nicoara, R. I., Novák, P., Öllerer, K., Onete, M., Palpurina, S., Paulini, I., Pedashenko, H., Puşcaş, M., Roman, A., Šibík, J., Sîrbu, C., Stancu, D. I., Sutcliffe, L. M. E., Szabó, A., Tomescu, C. V., Totev, E., Tsvetanov, B., Turtureanu, P. D., Vassileva, P., Velev, N. & Dengler, J., 01.03.2018, In: Phytocoenologia. 48, 1, p. 91-100 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Transferring an Analytical Technique from Ecology to the Sport Sciences

    Woods, C. T., Robertson, S., Collier, N. F., Swinbourne, A. L. & Leicht, A. S., 01.03.2018, In: Sports Medicine. 48, 3, p. 725-732 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Wasted money, wasted time? The sustainability of EU assistance to Hungary and Poland’s waste management sector

    Cotta, B., 01.03.2018, In: EMECON - Employment and economy in Central and Eastern Europe. 7, 1, p. 1-18 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Combination of experimental and in silico methods for the assessment of the phototransformation products of the antipsychotic drug/metabolite Mesoridazine

    Wilde, M. L., Menz, J., Leder, C. & Kümmerer, K., 15.03.2018, In: The Science of The Total Environment. 618, p. 697-711 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    ORCHIDEE-SOM: Modeling soil organic carbon (SOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics along vertical soil profiles in Europe

    Camino-Serrano, M., Guenet, B., Luyssaert, S., Ciais, P., Bastrikov, V., De Vos, B., Gielen, B., Gleixner, G., Jornet-Puig, A., Kaiser, K., Kothawala, D., Lauerwald, R., Peñuelas, J., Schrumpf, M., Vicca, S., Vuichard, N., Walmsley, D. & Janssens, I. A., 15.03.2018, In: Geoscientific Model Development. 11, 3, p. 937-957 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Inner conflict resolution and self-empowerment as contribution for personal sustainability on the case of intentional community practices

    Veciana, S. & Ottmar, K., 19.03.2018, Personal Sustainability: Exploring the Far Side of Sustainable Development. Parodi, O. & Tamm, K. (eds.). London: Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 116-135 20 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    System Properties Determine Food Security and Biodiversity Outcomes at Landscape Scale: A Case Study from West Flores, Indonesia

    Collier, N. F., Sayer, J., Boedhihartono, A. K., Hanspach, J., Abson, D. & Fischer, J., 20.03.2018, In: Land. 7, 1, 19 p., 39.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Einfluss von Klimaänderungen auf das simulierte Umweltverhalten der Fungizide Boscalid und Penconazol in einem typischen terrassierten Weineinzugsgebiet

    Vollert, D., Denien, M., Kümmerer, K. & Olsson, O., 22.03.2018, Forum für Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung 39.18: M³ - Messen, Modellieren, Managen in Hydrologie und Wasserressourcenbewirtschaftung . Schütze, N., Müller, U., Schwarze, R., Wöhling, T. & Grundmann, J. (eds.). Dresden: Fachgemeinschaft Hydrologische Wissenschaften (FgHW), Vol. 39. p. 281-290 10 p.

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