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

    Social and Ecological Elements for a Perspective Approach to Citizen Science on the Beach

    Fanini, L., Costa, L. L., Zalmon, I. R. & Riechers, M., 17.08.2021, In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9, 6 p., 694487.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  2. Published

    Food forests: Their services and sustainability

    Albrecht, S. & Wiek, A., 10.07.2021, In: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development . 10, 3, p. 91-105 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Best practice for bio-waste collection as a prerequisite for high-quality compost

    Friege, H. & Eger, Y., 01.01.2022, In: Waste Management and Research. 40, 1, p. 104-110 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Collaborative design prototyping in transdisciplinary research: An approach to heterogeneity and unknowns

    Peukert, D. & Vilsmaier, U., 01.09.2021, In: Futures. 132, 10 p., 102808.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Sources and pathways of biocides and their transformation products in urban storm water infrastructure of a 2 ha urban district

    Linke, F., Olsson, O., Preusser, F., Kümmerer, K., Schnarr, L., Bork, M. & Lange, J., 20.08.2021, In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 25, 8, p. 4495-4512 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Added value of convection-permitting simulations for understanding future urban humidity extremes: case studies for Berlin and its surroundings

    Langendijk, G. S., Rechid, D., Sieck, K. & Jacob, D., 01.09.2021, In: Weather and Climate Extremes. 33, 14 p., 100367.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Usually hated, sometimes loved: A review of wild ungulates' contributions to people

    Pascual-Rico, R., Morales-Reyes, Z., Aguilera-Alcalá, N., Olszańska, A., Sebastián-González, E., Naidoo, R., Moleón, M., Lozano Mendoza, J., Botella, F., von Wehrden, H., Martín-López, B. & Sánchez-Zapata, J. A., 20.12.2021, In: Science of the Total Environment. 801, 11 p., 149652.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  8. Published

    A social-ecological assessment of food security and biodiversity conservation in Ethiopia

    Fischer, J., Bergsten, A., Dorresteijn, I., Hanspach, J., Hylander, K., Jiren, T. S., Manlosa, A. O., Rodrigues, P., Schultner, J., Senbeta, F. & Shumi, G., 28.07.2021, In: Ecosystems and People. 17, 1, p. 400-410 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Understanding relational values in cultural landscapes in Romania and Germany

    Riechers, M., Balázsi, Á., Engler, J. O., Shumi, G. & Fischer, J., 10.2021, In: People and Nature. 3, 5, p. 1036-1046 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Case study meta-analysis in the social sciences. Insights on data quality and reliability from a large-N case survey

    Jager, N. W., Newig, J., Challies, E., Kochskämper, E. & von Wehrden, H., 01.01.2022, In: Research Synthesis Methods. 13, 1, p. 12-27 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review