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

    Impact of land cover homogenization on the Corncrake (Crex crex) in traditional farmland

    Dorresteijn, I., Teixeira, L., von Wehrden, H., Loos, J., Hanspach, J., Stein, J. A. R. & Fischer, J., 04.10.2015, In: Landscape Ecology. 30, 8, p. 1483-1495 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Degradation of 5-FU by means of advanced (photo)oxidation processes: UV/H2O2, UV/Fe(2+)/H2O2 and UV/TiO2 - Comparison of transformation products, ready biodegradability and toxicity

    Lutterbeck, C. A., Wilde, M. L., Baginska, E., Leder, C., Machado, Ê. L. & Kümmerer, K., 15.09.2015, In: The Science of The Total Environment. 527-528, p. 232-245 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Aliens in Transylvania: risk maps of invasive alien plant species in Central Romania

    Zimmermann, H., Loos, J., von Wehrden, H. & Fischer, J., 16.01.2015, In: NeoBiota. 24, p. 55-65 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The future of people and nature in Southern Transylvania

    Fischer, J., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Hartel, T., Hanspach, J. & Mikulcak, F., 2015, Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd. 60 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsTransfer

  5. Published
  6. Published

    In Memoriam; Zum Tode von Hans Primas, 1928 bis 2014: Mut zur Ganzheit: Wie ist Naturverständnis möglich ohne Naturbeherrschung?

    Scheringer, M. & Jaeger, J., 2015, In: GAIA. 24, 1, p. 7 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Natural habitat does not mediate vertebrate seed predation as an ecosystem dis-service to agriculture

    Schäckermann, J., Mandelik, Y., Weiss, N., von Wehrden, H. & Klein, A. M., 04.2015, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 52, 2, p. 291-299 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    The potential for a finite serial transnational nomination of primeval and ancient beech forests of Europe to the World Heritage List

    Fichtner, A., Knapp, H. D. & Engels, B., 2012, Beech Forests Joint Natural Heritage of Europe (2): The potential for a finite serial transnational nomination of primeval and ancient beech forests of Europe to the World Heritage List. Knapp, H. D. & Fichtner, A. (eds.). Bonn: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, p. 9-20 12 p.

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

  9. Published

    Changes in butterfly movements along a gradient of land use in farmlands of Transylvania (Romania)

    Loos, J., Kuussaari, M., Ekroos, J., Hanspach, J., Fust, P., Jackson, L. & Fischer, J., 04.2015, In: Landscape Ecology. 30, 4, p. 625-635 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Holocene climatic and environmental history of the north-west German coastal area constructed from a 20 m section of the Garding-2 research drill core.

    Proborukmi, M. S. & Urban, B., 2014, Abstract Book 9th European Palaeobotany - Palynology Conference. p. 220-221 2 p.

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