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

    Leverage points 2019: A transdisciplinary conference, inspiring change

    Leventon, J., Zimmermann, H., Von Wehrden, H. & Becker, S., 01.01.2019, In: GAIA. 28, 1, p. 55-57 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    sPlot – A new tool for global vegetation analyses

    Bruelheide, H., Dengler, J., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Purschke, O., Hennekens, S. M., Chytrý, M., Pillar, V. D., Jansen, F., Kattge, J., Sandel, B., Aubin, I., Biurrun, I., Field, R., Haider, S., Jandt, U., Lenoir, J., Peet, R. K., Peyre, G., Sabatini, F. M., Schmidt, M., Schrodt, F., Winter, M., Aćić, S., Agrillo, E., Alvarez, M., Ambarlı, D., Angelini, P., Apostolova, I., Arfin Khan, M. A. S., Arnst, E., Attorre, F., Baraloto, C., Beckmann, M., Berg, C., Bergeron, Y., Bergmeier, E., Bjorkman, A. D., Bondareva, V., Borchardt, P., Botta-Dukát, Z., Boyle, B., Breen, A., Brisse, H., Byun, C., Cabido, M. R., Casella, L., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Chepinoga, V., Csiky, J., Curran, M., Ćušterevska, R., Dajić Stevanović, Z., De Bie, E., de Ruffray, P., De Sanctis, M., Dimopoulos, P., Dressler, S., Ejrnæs, R., El-Sheikh, M. A. E. R. M., Enquist, B., Ewald, J., Fagúndez, J., Finckh, M., Font, X., Forey, E., Fotiadis, G., García-Mijangos, I., de Gasper, A. L., Golub, V., Gutierrez, A. G., Hatim, M. Z., He, T., Higuchi, P., Holubová, D., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Indreica, A., Işık Gürsoy, D., Jansen, S., Janssen, J., Jedrzejek, B., Jiroušek, M., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Kavgacı, A., Kearsley, E., Kessler, M., Knollová, I., Kolomiychuk, V., Korolyuk, A., Kozhevnikova, M., Kozub, Ł., Krstonošić, D., Kühl, H., Kühn, I., Kuzemko, A., Küzmič, F., Landucci, F., Lee, M. T., Levesley, A., Li, C. F., Liu, H., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Lysenko, T., Macanović, A., Mahdavi, P., Manning, P., Marcenò, C., Martynenko, V., Mencuccini, M., Minden, V., Moeslund, J. E., Moretti, M., Müller, J. V., Munzinger, J., Niinemets, Ü., Nobis, M., Noroozi, J., Nowak, A., Onyshchenko, V., Overbeck, G. E., Ozinga, W. A., Pauchard, A., Pedashenko, H., Peñuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Peterka, T., Petřík, P., Phillips, O. L., Prokhorov, V., Rašomavičius, V., Revermann, R., Rodwell, J., Ruprecht, E., Rūsiņa, S., Samimi, C., Schaminée, J. H. J., Schmiedel, U., Šibík, J., Šilc, U., Škvorc, Ž., Smyth, A., Sop, T., Sopotlieva, D., Sparrow, B., Stančić, Z., Svenning, J. C., Swacha, G., Tang, Z., Tsiripidis, I., Turtureanu, P. D., Uğurlu, E., Uogintas, D., Valachovič, M., Vanselow, K. A., Vashenyak, Y., Vassilev, K., Vélez-Martin, E., Venanzoni, R., Vibrans, A. C., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., von Wehrden, H., Wagner, V., Walker, D. A., Wana, D., Weiher, E., Wesche, K., Whitfeld, T., Willner, W., Wiser, S., Wohlgemuth, T., Yamalov, S., Zizka, G. & Zverev, A., 01.03.2019, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 30, 2, p. 161-186 26 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Strategy for phytomanagement in an area affected by iron ore dam rupture: A study case in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

    Zago, V. C. P., das Dores, N. C. & Watts, B. A., 01.06.2019, In: Environmental Pollution. 249, p. 1029-1037 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Functional domains of business incubators for refugee entrepreneurs

    Harima, A., Freudenberg, J. & Halberstadt, J., 10.12.2020, In: Journal of Enterprising Communities. 14, 5, p. 687-711 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Agriculturally productive yet biodiverse: human benefits and conservation values along a forest-agriculture gradient in Southern Ethiopia

    Baudron, F., Schultner, J., Duriaux, J. Y., Gergel, S. E. & Sunderland, T., 01.02.2019, In: Landscape Ecology. 34, 2, p. 341-356 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Comparison of eco-effectiveness and eco-efficiency based criteria for the construction of single-family homes

    Lindner, S., Braungart, M. & Essig, N., 25.02.2019, In: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 225, 1, 9 p., 012041.

    Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Miteinander forschen zwischen Universität und Naturpark Wildeshauser Geest

    Engbers, M., Riechers, M. & Vilsmaier, U., 2019, (Bio)Diversitätskorridor. Vielfalt als Ausgangspunkt für Mensch und Natur im Landkreis Oldenburg, artecology_network e.V. & Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. Lüneburg: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, p. 78-81 4 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to scientific reportsResearch

  8. Published

    Inquiry-based learning in sustainability science

    Vilsmaier, U. & Meyer, E. M., 12.04.2019, Inquiry-Based Learning – Undergraduate Research: The German Multidisciplinary Experience. Mieg, H. A. (ed.). Cham: Springer, p. 331-339 9 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  9. Published
  10. Published

    Toward a better understanding of the mindsets of negotiators: Development and construct validation of the Scale for the Integrative Mindset (SIM)

    Ade, V., Dantlgraber, M., Schuster, C. & Trötschel, R., 01.09.2020, In: European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 36, 5, p. 740-747 8 p., a000548.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review