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

    Selbstwertschätzung im Beruf – ein Weg zur Balance?

    Lehr, D., 2018, Fehlzeiten-Report 2018: Sinn erleben - Arbeit und Gesundheit . Badura, B., Ducki, A., Schröder, H., Klose, J. & Meyer, M. (eds.). 1 ed. Berlin: Springer, p. 143-156 14 p.

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

  2. Published

    Burnout und chronischer beruflicher Stress: Ein Ratgeber für Betroffene und Angehörige

    Hillert, A., Koch, S. & Lehr, D., 2018, 1 ed. Göttingen: Hogrefe Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 89 p. (Ratgeber zur Reihe Fortschritte der Psychotherapie; vol. 39)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  3. Published

    Nature’s contributions to people and quality of life

    Martín-López, B., Church, A., Başak Dessane , E., Berry, P., Chenu, C., Christie, M., Gerino, M., Keune, H., Oteros-Rozas, E., Paillard, S., Rossberg, A. G., Schröter, M. & van Oudenhoven, A. P. E., 2018, IPBES (2018): The IPBES regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia. Rounsevell, M., Fischer, M., Torre-Marin Rando, A. & Mader, A. (eds.). Bonn: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, p. 60-185

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

  4. Published

    Die Formatfrage stellen. Das alternative Medienzentrum FC⚡MC zum G20-Gipfel

    Leistert, O., Bergermann, U., Grimm, M. & Keil, S., 12.04.2018, In: Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft. 10, 18-1, p. 111-129 19 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  5. Published

    Comparative studies of water governance: A systematic review

    Özerol, G., Vinke-De Kruijf, J., Brisbois, M. C., Flores, C. C., Deekshit, P., Girard, C., Knieper, C., Mirnezami, S. J., Ortega-Reig, M., Ranjan, P., Schröder, N. & Schröter, B., 01.12.2018, In: Ecology and Society. 23, 4, 28 p., 43.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Strategic networking for sustainability: Lessons learned from two case studies in higher education

    Kahle, J., Risch, K., Wanke, A. & Lang, D. J., 06.12.2018, In: Sustainability. 10, 12, 24 p., 4646.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Intrinsic Motivation in Bilingual Courses on Bionics and Molecular Biology in an Out-of-School Lab

    Rodenhauser, A. & Preisfeld, A., 2018, Challenges in Biology Education Research. Gericke, N. & Grace, M. (eds.). Karlstad: European Researchers in Didactics of Biology, p. 120-134 15 p.

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

  8. Published

    Wahnehmung und Anpassungsverhalten der Landwirte an Greening: Eine qualitative Studie in Südniedersachsen

    Schüler, S., Bienwald, L., Loos, J. & Lakner, S., 2018, In: Berichte über Landwirtschaft. Zeitschrift für Agrapolitik und Landwirtschaft. 96, 3, 22 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    A Social–Ecological Systems Framework as a Tool for Understanding the Effectiveness of Biosphere Reserve Management

    Ferreira, A. F., Zimmermann, H., Santos, R. & Wehrden, H., 10.10.2018, In: Sustainability. 10, 10, 26 p., 3608.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Linking concepts of change and ecosystem services research: A systematic review

    Rau, A.-L., Bickel, M. W., Hilser, S., Jenkins, S., McCrory, G., Pfefferle, N., Rathgens, J., Roitsch, D., Schroth, T. N., Stålhammar, S., Villada, D., Weiser, A., Wamsler, C., Krause, T. & Wehrden, H., 01.12.2018, In: Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems. 4, 1, p. 33-45 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review