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

    Legacy effects of pre-crop plant functional group on fungal root symbionts of barley

    Roy, J., van Duijnen, R., Leifheit, E. F., Mbedi, S., Temperton, V. M. & Rillig, M. C., 09.2021, In: Ecological Applications. 31, 6, 16 p., e02378.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Legacy effects of past land use on current biodiversity in a low-intensity farming landscape in Transylvania (Romania)

    Culbert, P. D., Dorresteijn, I., Loos, J., Clayton, M. K., Fischer, J. & Kuemmerle, T., 01.02.2017, In: Landscape Ecology. 32, 2, p. 429-444 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Legacy effects of land-use modulate tree growth responses to climate extremes

    Mausolf, K., Härdtle, W., Jansen, K., Delory, B., Hertel, D., Leuschner, C., Temperton, V. M., von Oheimb, G. & Fichtner, A., 01.07.2018, In: Oecologia. 187, 3, p. 825-837 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Left by the left? The politics of poverty alleviation

    Lierse, H. & Seelkopf, L., 07.11.2022, In: Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy. 38, 3, p. 223-240 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    LED und Ressourcen - kleine Mengen, große Wirkung

    Kümmerer, K., 2013, Schutz der Nacht - Lichtverschmutzung, Biodiversität und Nachtlandschaft: Grundlagen, Folgen, Handlungsansätze, Beispiele guter Praxis . Held, M., Hölker, F. & Jessel, B. (eds.). Bonn: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, p. 101-104 4 p. (BfN-Skripten; vol. 336).

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

  6. Published

    Lebenswelt Hochschule als Erfahrungsraum für Nachhaltigkeit

    Stoltenberg, U., 2000, Sustainable university – auf dem Weg zu einem universitären Agendaprozess. Michelsen, G. (ed.). Frankfurt/Main: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften, p. 90-116 27 p. (Innovationen in den Hochschulen – Nachhaltige Entwicklung; vol. 1).

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

  7. Published

    Lebenswelt Hochschule: Raum-Bildung, Konsum-Muster und Kommunikation für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Stoltenberg, U. (Editor), 2000, Frankfurt/Main: VAS Verlag für Akademische Schriften. 181 p. (Reihe Innovationen in den Hochschulen – Nachhaltige Entwicklung; vol. 2)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesConference proceedingsResearch

  8. Published

    Lebensweltgestaltung junger Frauen mit türkischem Migrationshintergrund in der dritten Generation : "Mama, erzähl mir neue Sachen, deine sind schon veraltet"

    Bülbül-Emanet, S., 18.12.2014, Wiesbaden: Springer VS. 199 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  9. Published

    Lebensplanung, Politik und soziale Gerechtigkeit: Geschlechtersensible politische Bildung zwischen Träumen und prekären Verhältnissen

    Offen, S. & Schmidt, J., 2012, Jungen-Pädagogik: Praxis und Theorie von Genderpädagogik. Chwalek, D.-T., Diaz, M., Fegter, S. & Graff, U. (eds.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS, p. 133-145 13 p. (Kinder, Kindheiten, Kindheitsforschung; vol. 6).

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

  10. Published