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

    Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Barth, M., 03.08.2021, Handbuch Transdisziplinäre Didaktik. Schmohl, T. & Philipp, T. (eds.). Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, p. 35-44 10 p.

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

  2. Published

    Die Krise in der Krise. Sozial-ökologische Perspektiven auf Zuschreibungen, Bestätigungen und Verluste des ‚Reproduktiven’ in Zeiten von ‚Corona’

    Mölders, T. & Hofmeister, S., 21.07.2021, In: Gender. 13, 2, p. 48-63 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Towards the design of active pharmaceutical ingredients mineralizing readily in the environment

    Puhlmann, N., Mols, R., Olsson, O., Slootweg, J. C. & Kümmerer, K., 21.07.2021, In: Green Chemistry . 23, 14, p. 5006-5023 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  4. Published

    Timing matters: Distinct effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer application timing on root system architecture responses

    van Duijnen, R., Uther, H., Härdtle, W., Temperton, V. & Kumar, A., 01.08.2021, In: Plant-Environment Interactions. 2, 4, p. 194-205 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Positive intercropping effects on biomass production are species-specific and involve rhizosphere enzyme activities: Evidence from a field study

    Kumar, A., Blagodaskaya, E., Dippold, M. A. & Temperton, V., 01.12.2022, In: Soil Ecology Letters. 4, 4, p. 444-453 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Gone and forgotten: facilitative effects of intercropping combinations did not carry over to affect barley performance in a follow‑up crop rotation

    Kumar, A., Rosinger, C., Chen, H., Protic, S., Bonkowski, M. & Temperton, V., 10.2021, In: Plant and Soil. 467, 1-2, p. 405-419 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Following Health Measures in the Pandemic: A Matter of Values?

    Schuster, C., 14.09.2021, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 12, 17 p., 731799.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Integrating indigenous and local knowledge in management and research on coastal ecosystems in the Global South: A literature review

    Loch, T. K. & Riechers, M., 15.10.2021, In: Ocean and Coastal Management. 212, 19 p., 105821.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Ein Unterstützungsraster zur Planung und Reflexion inklusiven naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichts

    González, L. F., Fühner, L., Sührig, L., Weck, H., Weirauch, K. & Abels, S., 06.2021, Naturwissenschaftsdidaktik und Inklusion. Abels, S., Hundertmark, S., Nehring, A., Schildknecht, R., Seremet, V. & Sun, X. (eds.). Weinheim: Beltz Juventa Verlag, p. 191-215 25 p.

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

  10. Published

    Naturwissenschaftsdidaktik und Inklusion

    Hundertmark, S. (Editor), Sun, X. (Editor), Abels, S. (Editor), Nehring, A. (Editor), Schildknecht, R. (Editor), Seremet, V. (Editor) & Lindmeier, C. (Editor), 06.2021, Weinheim, Basel: Beltz Juventa Verlag. 282 p. (Beiheft Sonderpädagogische Förderung heute; no. 4)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesEducation