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

    Das Dorf: Soziale Prozesse und räumliche Arrangements

    Steinführer, A. (Editor), Laschewski, L. (Editor), Mölders, T. (Editor) & Siebert, R. (Editor), 2019, 1 ed. Münster: LIT Verlag. 220 p. (Rural areas: Issues of local and regional development / Ländliche Räume. Beiträge zur lokalen und regionalen Entwicklung; vol. 5)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  2. Published

    Living on the edge: Rapid assessment of the mammal community in a coffee forest in south-western Ethiopia

    Rodrigues, P., Dorresteijn, I., Senbeta, F. & Fischer, J., 06.2019, In: African Journal of Ecology. 57, 2, p. 279-285 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  3. Published

    Livelihood strategies, capital assets, and food security in rural Southwest Ethiopia

    Manlosa, A. O., Hanspach, J., Schultner, J., Dorresteijn, I. & Fischer, J., 15.02.2019, In: Food Security. 11, 1, p. 167-181 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    'Where is everybody?' An empirical appraisal of occurrence, prevalence and sustainability of technological species in the Universe

    Engler, J. O. & Von Wehrden, H., 01.12.2019, In: International Journal of Astrobiology. 18, 6, p. 495-501 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Cultural ecosystem services provided by urban green change along an urban-periurban gradient

    Riechers, M., Strack, M., Barkmann, J. & Tscharntke, T., 26.01.2019, In: Sustainability. 11, 3, 10 p., 645.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    A stakeholder theory perspective on business models: Value creation for sustainability

    Freudenreich, B., Lüdeke-Freund, F. & Schaltegger, S., 01.09.2020, In: Journal of Business Ethics. 166, 1, p. 3-18 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Contributions to the sustainable development goals in life cycle sustainability assessment: Insights from the Handprint research project

    Kühnen, M., Silva, S. L., Beckmann, J., Eberle, U., Hahn, R., Hermann, C., Schaltegger, S. & Schmid, M., 03.2019, In: NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum. 27, 1, p. 65-82 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Editorial

    Salisch, M. & Resch, F., 02.2019, In: Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie. 68, 2, p. 90-92 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  9. Published

    Vulnerablility of Ecosystem Services in Farmland Depends on Landscape Management

    Loos, J., Batary, P., Grass, I., Westphal, C., Bänsch, S., Baillod, A. B., Hass, A. L., Rosa, J. & Tscharntke, T., 2019, Atlas of Ecosystem Services: Drivers, Risks, and Societal Responses. Schröter, M., Bonn, A., Klotz, S., Seppelt, R. & Baessler, C. (eds.). Springer, p. 91-96 6 p.

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

  10. Published

    Nachhaltige Verwaltung

    Heinrichs, H. & Schuster, F., 11.01.2019, Handbuch zur Verwaltungsreform. Veit, S., Reichard, C. & Wewer, G. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer, p. 1-11 11 p. (Springer Reference Sozialwissenschaften)(Springer Reference Live).

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