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

    Focusing on enquiry-based science education within a european in-service teacher education programme

    Lembens, A. & Abels, S. J., 2016, Electronic Proceedings of the ESERA 2015 Conference : Science Education Research: Engaging learners for a sustainable future. Lavonen, J., Juuti, K., Lampiselkä, J., Uitto, A. & Hahl, K. (eds.). European Science Education Research Association, Vol. Part 14. p. 2544-2554 11 p.

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

  2. Published

    Forschendes Lernen als Beispiel eines inklusiven Ansatzes für den Fachunterricht

    Abels, S. J. & Koliander, B., 01.2017, Vielfalt als Chance: Vom Kern der Sache. Svehla , H., Schörkhuber , B. & Rabl, M. (eds.). LIT Verlag, Vol. 13. p. 53-60 8 p. (Schriften der Kirchlichen Pädagogischen Hochschule; vol. 13).

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

  3. Published

    Der „reflective practicioner“: Leitfigur oder Kategorienfehler einer reflexiven Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung?

    Leonhard, T. & Abels, S. J., 2017, Reflexive Lehrerbildung revisited : Traditionen - Zugänge - Perspektiven. Berndt, C., Häcker, T. & Leonhard, T. (eds.). Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, p. 46-55 10 p.

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

  4. Published

    Self-guided internet-based and mobile-based stress management for employees: results of a randomised controlled trial

    Ebert, D. D., Heber, E., Berking, M., Riper, H., Cuijpers, P., Funk, B. & Lehr, D., 05.05.2016, In: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 73, 5, p. 315-323 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Environmental reconstruction and biostratigraphy of late Middle Pleistocene lakeshore deposits at Schöningen

    Urban, B. & Bigga, G., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 57-70 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Characterizing the Lower Paleolithic bone industry from Schöningen 12 II: A multi-proxy study.

    Julien, M. A., Hardy, B., Stahlschmidt, M., Urban, B., Serangeli, J. & Conard, N. J., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 264-286 23 p., 89.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Mentoring in Massive Open Online Courses - Eine Nutzenanalyse auf Basis des IS-Success-Modells

    Drawert, K., Mager, M., Funk, B., Trötschel, R. & Pfeifer, C., 03.2016, Multikonferenz Wirtschaftsinformatik (MKWI) 2016: Technische Universität Ilmenau 09. - 11. März 2016 . Nissen, V., Stelzer, D., Straßburger, S. & Fischer, D. (eds.). Universitätsverlag Ilmenau - ilmedia, Vol. 3. p. 1511-1522 12 p. (Multikonferenz Wirtschaftsinformatik, MKWI 2016; vol. 3).

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

  8. Published

    Berücksichtigung von Ökosystemleistungen in privatwirtschaftlichen Entscheidungen

    Schaltegger, S., Beständig, U. & Wuczkowski, M., 2016, Ökosystemleistungen in ländlichen Räumen: Grundlage für menschliches Wohlergehen und nachhaltige wirtschaftliche Entwicklung. von Haaren, C. & Albert, C. (eds.). Hannover, Leipzig: Naturkapital Deutschland - TEEB DE, p. 308-325 18 p.

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

  9. Published

    Why protect nature? Rethinking values and the environment

    Chan, K. M. A., Balvanera, P., Benessaiah, K., Chapman, M., Díaz, S., Gómez-Baggethun, E., Gould, R., Hannahs, N., Jax, K., Klain, S., Luck, G. W., Martín-López, B., Muraca, B., Norton, B., Ott, K., Pascual, U., Satterfield, T., Tadaki, M., Taggart, J. & Turner, N., 09.02.2016, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). 113, 6, p. 1462-1465 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  10. Published

    Globales Denken? Zum Wirkungszusammenhang von Forschungspraxis, Erkenntnisfeld und der Art zu denken

    Vilsmaier, U., 03.2016, Wissenschaft und Globales Denken. Gmainer-Pranzl, F. & Schottenhammer, A. (eds.). Frankfurt a.M. u.a.: Peter Lang Verlag, p. 109-127 19 p. (Salzburger interdisziplinäre Diskurse; vol. 7).

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