School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
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.
- 2022
- Published
A framework to enable sustainability-oriented transition activities in HEIs: Learnings from two case studies in Germany and Switzerland
Kirst, E. & Schroth, T., 15.12.2022, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 379, 134605.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
An automated, modular system for organic waste utilization using Hermetia illucens larvae: Design, sustainability, and economics
Pahmeyer, M. J., Siddiqui, S. A., Pleissner, D., Gołaszewski, J., Heinz, V. & Smetana, S., 15.12.2022, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 379, Part 2, 8 p., 134727.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Biodiversity–stability relationships strengthen over time in a long-term grassland experiment
Wagg, C., Roscher, C., Weigelt, A., Vogel, A., Ebeling, A., de Luca, E., Roeder, A., Kleinspehn, C., Temperton, V. M., Meyer, S. T., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Buchmann, N., Fischer, M., Weisser, W. W., Eisenhauer, N. & Schmid, B., 14.12.2022, In: Nature Communications. 13, 1, 11 p., 7752.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys
Birdman, J., Barth, M. & Lang, D. J., 09.12.2022, In: Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy. 18, 1, p. 560-575 16 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Does storytelling for sustainability work? An experiment
Sundermann, A., Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Hanss, D. & Selm, H., 08.12.2022, Narrating Sustainability through Storytelling. Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H. & Sundermann, A. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 26-44 19 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Published
Narrating Sustainability through Storytelling
Fischer, D. (Editor), Fücker, S. (Editor), Selm, H. (Editor) & Sundermann, A. (Editor), 08.12.2022, 1st ed. London : Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 142 p. (Routledge-SCORAI Studies in Sustainable Consumption)Research output: Books and anthologies › Collected editions and anthologies › Research
- Published
Of sustainability and storytelling - An introduction to this book
Sundermann, A., Fischer, D., Fücker, S. & Selm, H., 08.12.2022, Narrating Sustainability through Storytelling. Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H. & Sundermann, A. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 3-10 8 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Published
Storytelling for sustainability: A preliminary conclusion
Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H. & Sundermann, A., 08.12.2022, Narrating Sustainability through Storytelling. Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H. & Sundermann, A. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 127-136 10 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Published
Storytelling for sustainability in higher education
Molthan-Hill, P. & Fischer, D., 08.12.2022, Narrating Sustainability through Storytelling. Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H. & Sundermann, A. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 74-87 14 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Published
Sustelling: Storytelling for sustainability
Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H., Storksdieck, M. & Sundermann, A., 08.12.2022, Narrating Sustainability through Storytelling. Fischer, D., Fücker, S., Selm, H. & Sundermann, A. (eds.). Taylor and Francis Inc., p. 13-25 13 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review