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
  2. Published

    Effect of a Web-Based Guided Self-help Intervention for Prevention of Major Depression in Adults With Subthreshold Depression A Randomized Clinical Trial

    Buntrock, C., Ebert, D. D., Lehr, D., Smit, F., Riper, H., Berking, M. & Cuijpers, P., 03.05.2016, In: JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association. 315, 17, p. 1854-1863 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Are women graduates jacquelines-of-all-trades? Challenging Lazear's view on entrepreneurship

    Tegtmeier, S., Kurczewska, A. & Halberstadt, J., 01.06.2016, In: Small Business Economics. 47, 1, p. 77-94 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Herausforderungen des kulturellen Wandels in Richtung Nachhaltigkeit

    Heinrichs, H., 05.2016, Umweltpolitik für die Transformation fit machen: Neue Grundkonfigurationen für eine angewandte Umweltpolitik. Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt, p. 7-9 3 p. (Für Mensch & Umwelt).

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

  5. Published

    Neue Wege

    Kümmerer, K., 12.2013, Zukunft Chemie: Perspektiven auf die Welt von morgen. Mohr, R. & Utikal, H. (eds.). Frankfurt: F.A.Z.-Institut für Management-, Markt- und Medieninformationen GmbH, p. 214-235 6 p.

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

  6. Published

    Green and Sustainable Chemistry

    Kümmerer, K. & Clark, J., 2016, Sustainability Science: An Introduction. Heinrichs, H., Martens, P., Michelsen, G. & Wiek, A. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, p. 43-59 17 p.

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

  7. Published

    Scope of the Book Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Wastewater Reuse

    Kümmerer, K., Dionysiou, D. D. & Fatta-Kassinos, D., 2016, Advanced Treatment Technologies for Urban Wastewater Reuse. Fatta-Kassinos, D., Dionysiou, D. D. & Kümmerer, K. (eds.). Cham: Springer, p. 1-4 4 p. (Handbook of Environmental Chemistry; vol. 45).

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

  8. Published

    Benign by design: Benign by Design

    Kümmerer, K., 14.03.2016, Green and Sustainable Medicinal Chemistry: Methods, Tools and Strategies for the 21st Century Pharmaceutical Industry. Summerton, L., Sneddon, H. F., Jones, L. C. & Clark, J. H. (eds.). Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, p. 73-81 9 p. (RSC Green Chemistry; vol. 2016-January, no. 46).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  9. Published

    Presence, fate and risks of pharmaceuticals in the environment

    Kümmerer, K., 14.03.2016, Green and Sustainable Medicinal Chemistry: Methods, Tools and Strategies for the 21st Century Pharmaceutical Industry. Summerton, L., Sneddon, H. F., Jones, L. C. & Clark, J. H. (eds.). Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, p. 63-72 10 p. (RSC Green Chemistry; vol. 2016-January, no. 46).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  10. Published

    Characterizing social-ecological units to inform biodiversity conservation in cultural landscapes

    Hanspach, J., Loos, J., Dorresteijn, I., Abson, D. J. & Fischer, J., 01.08.2016, In: Diversity and Distributions. 22, 8, p. 853-864 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review