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. 2021
  2. Published

    The significance of tree-tree interactions for forest ecosystem functioning

    Trogisch, S., Liu, X., Rutten, G., Xue, K., Bauhus, J., Brose, U., Bu, W., Cesarz, S., Chesters, D., Connolly, J., Cui, X., Eisenhauer, N., Guo, L., Haider, S., Härdtle, W., Kunz, M., Liu, L., Ma, Z., Neumann, S., Sang, W., Schuldt, A., Tang, Z., van Dam, N. M., von Oheimb, G., Wang, M. Q., Wang, S., Weinhold, A., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Xu, X., Yang, B., Zhang, N., Zhu, C. D., Ma, K., Wang, Y. & Bruelheide, H., 01.09.2021, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 55, p. 33-52 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Towards the design of organosilicon compounds for environmental degradation by using structure biodegradability relationships

    Grabitz, E., Olsson, O. & Kümmerer, K., 01.09.2021, In: Chemosphere. 279, 12 p., 130442.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Learning to collaborate from diverse interactions in project-based sustainability courses

    Konrad, T., Wiek, A. & Barth, M., 02.09.2021, In: Sustainability. 13, 17, 15 p., 9884.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Following Health Measures in the Pandemic: A Matter of Values?

    Schuster, C., 14.09.2021, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 12, 17 p., 731799.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Auf die Temperatur kommt es an! Untersuchung der Temperaturtoleranz mit der Wärmebildkamera

    Stinken-Rösner, L. & Rodenhauser, A., 15.09.2021, In: Digital unterrichten. Biologie. 2021, 7, p. 8-9 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsEducation

  7. Published

    Dinotefuran alters Collembola-fungi-bacteria interactions that control mineralization of maize and soil organic carbon

    Yu, Z., Schmidt, O., Zhao, Y., Liu, M., Kumar, A., Luo, Y. & Xu, J., 15.09.2021, In: Journal of Hazardous Materials. 418, 11 p., 126391.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Toward Application and Implementation of in Silico Tools and Workflows within Benign by Design Approaches

    Lorenz, S., Amsel, A. K., Puhlmann, N., Reich, M., Olsson, O. & Kümmerer, K., 20.09.2021, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 9, 37, p. 12461-12475 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Strengthening gender justice in a just transition: A research agenda based on a systematic map of gender in coal transitions

    Walk, P., Braunger, I., Semb, J., Brodtmann, C., Oei, P. Y. & Kemfert, C., 21.09.2021, In: Energies. 14, 18, 27 p., 5985.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Implementing education for sustainable development in the German school system: Implications for teacher education

    Barth, M. & Kater-Wettstädt, L., 28.09.2021, Quality in Teacher Education and Professional Development: Chinese and German Perspectives. Chi-Kin Lee, J. & Ehmke, T. (eds.). London: Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 157-175 19 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  11. Published

    From grief to hope in conservation

    Fischer, J. & Riechers, M., 10.2021, In: Conservation Biology. 35, 5, p. 1698-1700 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch