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. Published

    Das Studienprogramm Nachhaltigkeit als Beispiel interdisziplinärer Lehre: Herausforderung, Chancen und Erfahrungen

    Barth, M. & Godemann, J., 2010, Innovative Lehre - Grundsätze, Konzepte, Beispiele der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. Cremer-Renz, C. & Jansen-Schulz, B. (eds.). Bielefeld: UniversitätsVerlagWebler, p. 171-184 14 p. (Motivierendes Lehren und Lernen in Hochschulen; vol. 11).

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

  2. Published
  3. Published

    Das Umweltinformationsgesetz Nordrhein-Westfalen

    Schomerus, T. & Tolkmitt, U., 2008, In: Nordrhein-Westfälische Verwaltungsblätter. 22, 5, p. 165 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Das Umweltinformationsrecht zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit / Markus Schmillen

    Schomerus, T., 2003, In: Natur und Recht. 25, p. 283 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsCritical reviewsResearch

  5. Published

    Das Verhältnis von Praxis, Theorie und persönlicher Haltung in der Weiterbildung von LehrerInnen zum Umgang mit Kategorien sozialer Ungleichheit

    Jürgen Budde, P. D., Offen, S. & Schmidt, J., 2013, In: Lehrerbildung auf dem Prüfstand. 6, 1, p. 32-49 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Das Wirken von Nachhaltigkeitsräten in Politik und Gesellschaft

    Sieveking, A., 12.06.2017, In: GAIA. 26, 2, p. 158-160 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransfer

  7. Published

    Dataset of physiological, behavioral, and self-report measures from a group decision-making lab study

    Burns, A., Wallot, S., Berson, Y. & Gordon, I., 01.12.2022, In: Data in Brief. 45, 8 p., 108630.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Dating of event-layers (palaeotsunamis) on the Andaman Islands (Bay of Bengal) with Pb-210 and optically stimulated luminescence

    Kunz, A., Frechen, M., Ramashandran, R. & Urban, B., 2008, 26th Regional Meeting of the International Association of Sedimentologists IAS) held jointly with the SEPM-CES SEDIMENT 2008 Meeting. Kunkel, C., Hahn, S., Veen, J. T., Rameil, N. & Immenhauser, A. (eds.). Bochum: Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften e.V., p. 163 1 p. (Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften e.V.; vol. 58).

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

  9. Published

    Dating of palaeotsunami deposits from the Andaman Islands, India

    Kunz, A., Frechen, M., Ramachandran, R. & Urban, B., 2007, IGCP 521: Black Sea-Mediterranean Corridor during the last 30 ka: Sea level change and human adaptation. Istanbul 2005. Yilmaz, Y. & Yanko-Hombach, V. (eds.). 1. ed. Istanbul: Elsevier B.V., p. 224 1 p. (Quaternary International; vol. Special Issue, no. 167-168).

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

  10. Published

    Dating the Neanderthal environment: Detailed luminescence chronology of a palaeochannel sediment core at the Palaeolithic site of Lichtenberg in the Lower Saxony, northern Germany

    Rahimzadeh, N., Hein, M., Urban, B., Weiss, M., Tanner, D. C., Khosravichenar, A., Tsukamoto, S. & Lauer, T., 01.08.2024, In: Quaternary Geochronology. 83, 10 p., 101564.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review