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

    Media representation of environmental issues in Malaysia: Newspapers and environment non-government organisation newsletters

    Saleh, M. S. M. & Heinrichs, H., 30.11.2020, In: Pacific Journalism Review. 26, 2, p. 118-131 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  2. Published

    Mediatisierte Politikgestaltung: Expertise und politische Entscheidungsprozesse in wissenschaftsbasierten Themenfeldern

    Heinrichs, H. & Petersen, I., 2009, Medienorientierung biomedizinischer Forscher im internationalen Vergleich. Peters, H. P. (ed.). Jülich: Forschungszentrum, p. 177-227 51 p.

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

  3. Published

    Mediatisierte Politikgestaltung? Medien, Expertise und politische Entscheidungsprozesse in wissenschaftsbasierten Themenfeldern

    Heinrichs, H. & Petersen, I., 2008, Medienorientierung biomedizinischer Forscher im internationalen Vergleich: die Schnittstelle von Wissenschaft & Journalismus und ihre politische Relevanz. Peters, H. P. (ed.). Jülich: Forschungszentrum Jülich , p. 195-278 84 p. (Schriften des Forschungszentrums Jülich / Reihe Gesundheit; vol. 18).

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

  4. Published

    Medien, Expertise und politische Entscheidung: das Fallbeispiel Stammzellforschung

    Heinrichs, H., Petersen, I. & Peters, H. P., 2006, Deutsche Stammzellpolitik im Zeitalter der Transnationalisierung. Wink, R. (ed.). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, p. 119-140 22 p.

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

  5. Published

    Medienökologien fürs Anthropozän

    Schrickel, I. & Stürmer, M., 04.2016, In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. 14, 1, p. 180-185 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Medien und klimabewusstes Verhalten: Die Bedeutung des Fernsehens für ein nachhaltiges Alltagshandeln bei Jugendlichen

    Lüdecke, G., 04.04.2013, München: oekom verlag GmbH. 287 p. (Hochschulschriften zur Nachhaltigkeit; vol. 58)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Meditating for the Planet: Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Sustainable Consumption Behaviors

    Geiger, S. M., Fischer, D., Schrader, U. & Grossman, P., 01.11.2020, In: Environment and Behavior. 52, 9, p. 1012-1042 31 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Mediterranean marine protected areas have higher biodiversity via increased evenness, not abundance

    Blowes, S. A., Chase, J. M., Di Franco, A., Frid, O., Gotelli, N. J., Guidetti, P., Knight, T. M., May, F., McGlinn, D. J., Micheli, F., Sala, E. & Belmaker, J., 01.03.2020, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 57, 3, p. 578-589 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Meeresnaturschutz und Raumordnung: Kriterien für die Ausschließliche Wirtschaftszone in Nord- und Ostsee

    Wende, V. W., Herberg, A., Köppel, J., Nebelsieck, R., Runge, K. & Wolf, R., 03.2007, In: Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung. 39, 3, p. 79-85 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Meeting the challenge of (co-)designing real-world laboratories: Insights from the Well-Being Transformation Wuppertal project

    Rose, M. & Maibaum, K., 15.10.2020, In: GAIA. 29, 3, p. 154-160 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review