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
  3. Published

    Learning to collaborate while collaborating: advancing interdisciplinary sustainability research

    Freeth, R. & Caniglia, G., 01.01.2020, In: Sustainability Science. 15, 1, p. 247-261 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    IWRM through WFD implementation? Drivers for integration in polycentric water governance systems

    Schröder, N., 22.05.2019, In: Water (Switzerland). 11, 5, 27 p., 1063.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Differentiating forest types using TerraSAR–X spotlight images based on inferential statistics and multivariate analysis

    Farghaly, D., Urban, B., Sörgel, U. & Elba, E., 01.08.2019, In: Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment. 15, 100238.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Kommunalspezifische Nachhaltigkeitssteuerung: Erfahrungen und Empfehlungen

    Kirst, E., Lang, D. J., Heinrichs, H. & Plawitzki, J., 01.2019, In: GAIA. 28, 2, p. 151-159 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  7. Published

    Biorefineries in Germany

    Alexandri, M., Demichelis, F., Fiore, S., Lübeck, M. & Pleißner, D., 2020, Waste Biorefinery: Integrating biorefineries for waste valorisation. Bhaskar, T., Rene, E. R., Pandey, A. & Tsang, D. C. W. (eds.). Amsterdam: Elsevier B.V., p. 601-629 29 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  8. Published

    Do Nonsuicidal Severely Depressed Individuals with Diabetes Profit from Internet-Based Guided Self-Help? Secondary Analyses of a Pragmatic Randomized Trial

    Schlicker, S., Weisel, K. K., Buntrock, C., Berking, M., Nobis, S., Lehr, D., Baumeister, H., Snoek, F. J., Riper, H. & Ebert, D. D., 14.05.2019, In: Journal of Diabetes Research. 2019, 11 p., 2634094.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Privatizing the commons: New approaches need broader evaluative criteria for sustainability

    Partelow, S., Abson, D. J., Schlueter, A., Fernandez-Gimenez, M., von Wehrden, H. & Collier, N., 03.05.2019, In: International Journal of the Commons. 13, 1, p. 747-776 30 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Land-use legacy and tree age in continuous woodlands: weak effects on overall ground beetle assemblages, but strong effects on two threatened species

    Huelsmann, M., Boutaud, E., Buse, J., Schuldt, A. & Assmann, T., 15.06.2019, In: Journal of Insect Conservation. 23, 3, p. 623-633 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review