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

    Analysis and occurrence of seven artificial sweeteners in German waste water and surface water and in soil aquifer treatment (SAT)

    Scheurer, M., Brauch, H. J. & Lange, F. T., 07.2009, In: Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 394, 6, p. 1585-1594 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Analyses of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

    Ali, I., Aboul-Enein, H. Y. & Kümmerer, K., 05.07.2011, Biophysico-Chemical Processes of Anthropogenic Organic Compounds in Environmental Systems. Xing, B., Senesi, N. & Ming, P. (eds.). 1 ed. John Wiley & Sons Inc., p. 439-462 24 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  3. Published

    Analyse non linéaire des récessions de l'écoulement de base dans des bassins versants à écoulements intermittents

    Aksoy, H. & Wittenberg, H., 01.03.2011, In: Hydrological Sciences Journal. 56, 2, p. 226-237 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  4. Published
  5. Published

    Anaerobic biodegradation of organochlorine pesticides in contaminated soil: Significance of temperature and availability

    Baczynski, T. P., Pleissner, D. & Grotenhuis, T., 01.2010, In: Chemosphere. 78, 1, p. 22-28 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    An academia beyond quantity: a reply to Loyola et al. and Halme et al.

    Fischer, J., Hanspach, J. & Ritchie, E. G., 01.11.2012, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 27, 11, p. 587-588 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  7. E-pub ahead of print

    A Multivariate Method for Dynamic System Analysis: Multivariate Detrended Fluctuation Analysis Using Generalized Variance

    Wallot, S., Irmer, J. P., Tschense, M., Kuznetsov, N., Højlund, A. & Dietz, M., 14.09.2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Topics in Cognitive Science. 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    A Multimedia Assessment Scheme to Evaluate Chemical Effects on the Environment and Human Health

    Grimsted, B. A., Schaltegger, S., Stinson, C. H. & Waldron, C. S., 1994, In: Pollution Prevention Review. Summer 1994, p. 259-268 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published
  10. Published

    Am selbstverdienstlichsten ist es, über das zu reden, was ist: Ärger in der Freundschaft und Selbstwert-Entwicklung im Jugendalter

    Salisch, M., Oppl, C. & Vogelsang, J., 31.01.2002, Wege zum Selbst: Soziale Herausforderungen für Kinder und Jugendliche. Uhlendorff, H., Oswald, H. & Azmitia, M. (eds.). Stuttgart: Lucius & Lucius, p. 135-155 21 p.

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