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
  2. Published

    Kollaborative Wissensnetzwerke in "Lernenden Verwaltungen": am Beispiel des praxisbezogenen Online-Kurses "Kommunales Projektmanagement"

    Adomßent, M., 2001, Virtueller Campus: Szenarien - Strategien - Studium. Wagner, E. & Kindt, M. (eds.). Münster [u.a.]: Waxmann Verlag, p. 39-47 9 p. (Medien in der Wissenschaft; vol. 14).

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

  3. Published

    Kollaboratives Forschen und Lernen im Prozess bildungsbezogener Arbeit

    Hantke, H. & Hantsch, R., 2025, In: berufsbildung - Zeitschrift für Theorie-Praxis-Dialog. 1/2025, 205

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  4. Published

    Kollaborative Kurzfilmproduktion als innovativer Ansatz in der Hochschulbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung an der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg

    Altekruse, J., Fischer, D. & Ruckelshauß, T., 2018, Nachhaltigkeit in der Lehre: Eine Herausforderung für Hochschulen. Leal Filho, W. (ed.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, p. 369-385 17 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter

  5. Published

    Kohlenstoffdynamik und organische Substanz in Ackerböden

    Schmelmer, K. & Urban, B., 2014, Klimawandel in der Lüneburger Heide: Kulturlandschaften zukunftsfähig gestalten. Urban, B., Becker, J., Mersch, I., Meyer, W., Rechid, D. & Rottgardt, E. (eds.). Hamburg: TuTech Verlag, p. 41-44 4 p. (Berichte aus den KLIMZUG-NORD Modellgebieten; vol. 6).

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

  6. Published

    Kohleausstieg nach dem Muster des Atomgesetzes?

    Schomerus, C.-T., 2019, 15. Deutsches Atomrechtssymposium. Burgi, M. (ed.). 1 ed. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, p. 49-72 24 p. (Forum Energierecht; vol. 23).

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

  7. Published

    Knowledge sharing for shared success in the decade on ecosystem restoration

    Ladouceur, E., Shackelford, N., Bouazza, K., Brudvig, L., Bucharova, A., Conradi, T., Erickson, T. E., Garbowski, M., Garvy, K., Harpole, W. S., Jones, H. P., Knight, T. M., Nsikani, M. M., Paterno, G., Suding, K., Temperton, V., Török, P., Winkler, D. E. & Chase, J. M., 01.01.2022, In: Ecological Solutions and Evidence. 3, 1, 9 p., e12117.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Knowledge production and distribution of higher education institutions in the sway of global development trends

    Adomßent, M., 2008, Wissen als Begleiter!?: das Individuum als lebenslanger Lerner. Herwig, R., Uhlig, J. & Küstner, J. (eds.). Münster, Westf: LIT Verlag, p. 153-174 22 p. (Diagonal denken; vol. 4).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  9. Published

    Knowledge integration: A key challenge for transdisciplinary cooperation

    Godemann, J., 01.12.2008, In: Environmental Education Research. 14, 6, p. 625-641 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Knowledge Generation and Sustainable Development

    Frank, P., 2019, Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education. Leal Filho, W. (ed.). Cham: Springer

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticles for encyclopediaEducation