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

    Herausforderungen einer Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung im Spannungsfeld von Alltagstauglichkeit, strukturellen Bedingungen und dem Transfer konzeptueller Komplexität

    Holz, V. & Stoltenberg, U., 2011, Nachhaltige Entwicklung – transnational. Sichten und Erfahrungen aus Mitteleuropa. Banse, G., Janikowski, R. & Kiepas, A. (eds.). Berlin: edition sigma, p. 179-195 17 p. (Global zukunftsfähige Entwicklung – Nachhaltigkeitsforschung in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft; vol. 16, no. 1).

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

  3. Published

    Herausforderungen des kulturellen Wandels in Richtung Nachhaltigkeit

    Heinrichs, H., 05.2016, Umweltpolitik für die Transformation fit machen: Neue Grundkonfigurationen für eine angewandte Umweltpolitik. Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt, p. 7-9 3 p. (Für Mensch & Umwelt).

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

  4. Published

    Henry's law constants measurements of the nonylphenol isomer 4(3′,5′-dimethyl-3′-heptyl)-phenol, tertiary octylphenol and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane between 278 and 298 K

    Xie, Z., Le Calve, S., Feigenbrugel, V., Preuss, T. G., Vinken, R., Ebinghaus, R. & Ruck, W., 01.09.2004, In: Atmospheric Environment. 38, 29, p. 4859-4868 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Helical [n]catamantanes and all-trans-perhydroacenic [n]perimantanes: Structures and von Baeyer IUPAC numbering of carbon atoms

    Balaban, A. T. & Rücker, C., 19.12.2013, In: Arkivoc. 2014, 2, p. 346-361 16 p., CV-8352NP.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Heinrich Egon Weber (1932-2020)

    Haerdtle, W., Matzke-Hajek, G. & Pallas, J., 2020, In: Tuexenia. 40, p. 585-604 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Heidelandschaften: Anpassungsstrategien des Naturschutzes und des Managements

    Meyer-Grünefeldt, M. & Härdtle, W., 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, Vol. 6. p. 57-59 3 p. (Berichte aus den KLIMZUG-NORD Modellgebieten; vol. 6).

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

  9. Published

    Healthy eating and sustainable nutrition through mindfulness? Mixed method results of a controlled intervention study

    Stanszus, L. S., Frank, P. & Geiger, S. M., 01.10.2019, In: Appetite. 141, 104325.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Healthier and Sustainable Food Systems: Integrating Underutilised Crops in a ‘Theory of Change Approach’

    Pinto, E., Ferreira, H., Santos, C. S., da Silva, M. N., Styles, D., Migliorini, P., Ntatsi, G., Karkanis, A., Brémaud, M.-F., de Mey, Y., Meuwissen, M., Petrusan, J.-I., Smetana, S., Silva, B., Krenz, L. M. M., Pleissner, D., Profeta, A., Debeljak, M., Ivanovska, A., Balázs, B., Rubiales, D., Hawes, C., Iannetta, P. P. M. & Vasconcelos, M. W., 2023, Biodiversity, Functional Ecosystems and Sustainable Food Production. Galanakis, C. M. (ed.). Springer Schweiz, p. 275-323 49 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapter