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

    Engaging creatively with tension in collaborative research

    Clarke, E., Freeth, R. & Fam, D., 21.05.2019, Independent Thinking in an Uncertain World: A Mind of One’s Own. Brown, V. A., Harris, J. A. & Waltner-Toews, D. (eds.). 1 ed. Oxon: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 262-283 22 p.

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

  2. Published

    Making Collective Learning Coherent: An Adaptive Approach to the Practice of Transdisciplinary Pedagogy

    Clarke, E. & Ashhurst, C., 01.01.2018, Transdisciplinary Theory, Practice and Education: The Art of Collaborative Research and Collective Learning. Fam, D., Neuhauser, L. & Gibbs, P. (eds.). 1 ed. Cham: Springer, Vol. 1. p. 151-165 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  3. Published

    Insights into adoption of farming practices through multiple lenses: an innovation systems approach

    Clarke, E., Jackson, T., Keoka, K., Phimphachanvongsod, V., Sengxua, P., Simali, P. & Wade, L., 17.11.2018, In: Development in Practice: stimulating thought for action. 28, 8, p. 983-998 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Stadtnatur braucht Bildung

    Stoltenberg, U., 2014, Re-Naturierung: Gesellschaft im Einklang mit der Natur. Leitschuh, H., Michelsen, G., Simonis, U. E., Sommer, J. & Weizsäcker, E. U. V. (eds.). Stuttgart: S. Hirzel Verlag, p. 100-103 4 p. (Jahrbuch Ökologie ; vol. 2015).

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

  5. Published
  6. Published

    Kita und Kommune - Partner für eine nachhaltige Energiewende: oder: Was hat Bildung mit der Energiewende zu tun?

    Stoltenberg, U., 04.07.2018, Kulmbach: Mediengruppe Oberfranken. 82 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsTransfer

  7. Published

    A two-step approach for the prediction of mood levels based on diary data

    Bremer, V., Becker, D., Genz, T., Funk, B. & Lehr, D., 2019, Machine Learning and Knowledge Discovery in Databases - European Conference, ECML PKDD 2018, Proceedings: European Conference, ECML PKDD 2018, Dublin, Ireland. Brefeld, U., Curry, E., Daly, E., MacNamee, B., Marascu, A., Pinelli, F., Berlingerio, M. & Hurley, N. (eds.). Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, p. 626-629 4 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 11053 LNAI).

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

  8. Published

    Deeper Insights into Different Consumer Perceptions of CSR Communication: Germany vs. United States vs. China

    Batt, V., Bögel, P. M., Bekmeier-Feuerhahn, S. & Cotton-Chan, V. Y. K., 2018, 47th European Marketing Academy 2018 Conference Proceedings: People Make Marketing. Spiros, G., Matthew, A., Kathy, H., Maria, K. & Ewelina, L. (eds.). Brussels ; Stockholm: European Marketing Academy, p. 1-7 7 p.

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

  9. Published

    The Problematic of Transdisciplinary Sustainability Sciences

    Meyer, E. M., 06.10.2020, Thinking the problematic: genealogies and explorations between philosophy and the sciences. Leistert, O. & Schrickel, I. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 69-92 24 p. (Philosophy).

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

  10. Published

    Pollen und Sporen – Schlüssel zur Vegetation des Eiszeitalters

    Urban, B., 2018, 300.000 Jahre Spitzentechnik.: der altsteinzeitliche Fundplatz Schöningen und die ältesten Speere der Menschheit. Terberger, T., Böhner, U., F. H. & A. K. (eds.). Darmstadt: Theiss Verlag, p. 48-52 5 p. (Edition AiD).

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