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

    Steady-State-Modelle als Grundlage von Betrieblichen Umweltinformationssystemen

    Möller, A., 2014, Konzepte, Anwendungen und Entwicklungstendenzen von betrieblichen Umweltinformationssystemen (BUIS): Tagungsband zu den 6. BUIS-Tagen am 24. und 25.04.2014 in Berlin. Wohlgemuth, V., Lang, C. & Marx Gomez, J. (eds.). 1 ed. Shaker Verlag, p. 83-100 18 p. (Berichte aus der Umweltinformatik).

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

  2. Published

    Dialektik der Umweltinformatik

    Möller, A. & Hedemann, J., 2014, Umweltinformatik: Einblick in drei Jahrzehnte der Entwicklung einer Wissenschaftsdisziplin, Festschrift zur Pensionierung von Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Page. Wohlgemuth, V., Voigt, K. & Pillmann, W. (eds.). 1 ed. Aachen: Shaker Verlag, p. 31-40 10 p. 4

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

  3. Published

    What role for social-ecological systems research in governing global teleconnections?

    Challies, E., Newig, J. & Lenschow, A., 07.2014, In: Global Environmental Change : Human and Policy Dimensions. 27, 1, p. 32-40 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Non-native tree species (Pseudotsuga menziesii) strongly decreases predator biomass and abundance in mixed-species plantations of a tree diversity experiment

    Schuldt, A. & Scherer-Lorenzen, M., 01.09.2014, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 327, 1, p. 10-17 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Aspekte der Nachhaltigkeit in der ambulanten Versorgung von Menschen mit Demenz

    Baumgardt, J., Radisch, J., Touil, E., Moock, J., Plewig, H.-J., Kawohl, W. & Rössler, W., 11.2014, In: Psychiatrische Praxis. 41, 8, p. 424- 431 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Emotionswissen, exekutive Funktionen und Veränderungen bei Aufmerksamkeitsproblemen von Vorschulkindern

    von Salisch, M., Hänel, M. & Denham, S., 2015, In: Kindheit und Entwicklung. 24, 2, p. 78-85 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Current and New Research Perspectives on Dynamic Facial Emotion Detection in Emotional Interface

    Tews, T.-K., Oehl, M., Faasch, H. & Kanno, T., 2014, Human-Computer Interaction: Advanced Interaction Modalities and Techniques - 16th International Conference, HCI International 2014, Proceedings. Kurosu, M. (ed.). PART 2 ed. Springer, Vol. 2. p. 779-787 9 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 8511 LNCS, no. PART 2).

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

  8. Published

    Interacting effects of pollination, water and nutrients on fruit tree performance

    Klein, A.-M., Hendrix, S. D., Clough, Y., Scofield, A. & Kremen, C., 01.01.2015, In: Plant Biology. 17, 1, p. 201-208 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Spatial and seasonal distribution of trace metals in floodplain soils: A case study with the middle Elbe river, Germany

    Schulz-Zunkel, C., Krüger, F., Rupp, H., Meißner, R., Gruber, B., Gerisch, M. & Bork, H. R., 12.2013, In: Geoderma. 211-212, p. 128-137 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Helical [n]catamantanes and all-trans-perhydroacenic [n]perimantanes: Structures and von Baeyer IUPAC numbering of carbon atoms

    Balaban, A. T. & Rücker, C., 19.12.2013, In: Arkivoc. 2014, 2, p. 346-361 16 p., CV-8352NP.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review