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

    Introducing education for sustainable development into Egyptian schools

    Sewilam, H., McCormack, O., Mader, M. & Abdel Raouf, M., 04.2015, In: Environment, Development and Sustainability. 17, 2, p. 221-238 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Intrinsic Motivation in Bilingual Courses on Bionics and Molecular Biology in an Out-of-School Lab

    Rodenhauser, A. & Preisfeld, A., 2018, Challenges in Biology Education Research. Gericke, N. & Grace, M. (eds.). Karlstad: European Researchers in Didactics of Biology, p. 120-134 15 p.

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

  3. Published

    Intrinsic, instrumental and relational values behind nature’s contributions to people preferences of nature visitors in Germany

    Kachler, J., Felipe-Lucia, M. R., Isaac, R., Bonn, A. & Martín-López, B., 07.2024, In: Ecosystems and People. 20, 1, 17 p., 2342361.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Intraspecific trait variation patterns along a precipitation gradient in Mongolian rangelands

    Lang, B., Geiger, A., Oyunbileg, M., Ahlborn, J., von Wehrden, H., Wesche, K., Oyuntsetseg, B. & Römermann, C., 01.05.2019, In: Flora: Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 254, p. 135-146 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Intra-Individual Value Change in Adulthood: A Systematic Literature Review of Longitudinal Studies Assessing Schwartz’s Value Orientations

    Schuster, C., Pinkowski, L. & Fischer, D., 01.2019, In: Zeitschrift für Psychologie. 227, 1, p. 42-52 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Intra- and interspecific hybridization in invasive Siberian elm

    Hirsch, H., Brunet, J., Zalapa, J. E., von Wehrden, H., Hartmann, M., Kleindienst, C., Schlautman, B., Kosman, E., Wesche, K., Renison, D. & Hensen, I., 01.06.2017, In: Biological Invasions. 19, 6, p. 1889-1904 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Into the Hive-Mind: Shared Absorption and Cardiac Interrelations in Expert and Student String Quartets

    Høffding, S., Yi, W., Lippert, E., Sanchez, V. G., Bishop, L., Laeng, B., Danielsen, A., Jensenius, A. R. & Wallot, S., 06.2023, In: Music and Science. 6, p. 1-15 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    In the Eye of the Beholder: Stakeholder Perceived Value in Sustainable Business Models

    Norris, S., 01.02.2024, In: Long Range Planning. 57, 1, 14 p., 102406.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Interview mit Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Thomas Schomerus

    Schomerus, T., 15.11.2022, In: Fachzeitschrift für Energierecht. 2022, 6, p. 246-247 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  10. Published

    Interview mit Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Thomas Schomerus

    Schomerus, C.-T., 15.09.2020, In: Fachzeitschrift für Energierecht. 9, 5, p. 199-201 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsTransfer