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

    Transition management as an approach to deal with climate change

    Wesely, J., Feiner, G., Omann, I. & Schäpke, N., 2013, Transformation in a Changing Climate: Proceedings; International Conference in Oslo 19 - 21 June 2013. U. O. O. (ed.). Oslo: University of Oslo, p. 43-52 10 p.

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

  2. Published

    Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth: Visions of future systems and how to get there

    Fazey, I., Schäpke, N., Caniglia, G., Hodgson, A., Kendrick, I., Lyon, C., Page, G., Patterson, J., Riedy, C., Strasser, T., Verveen, S., Adams, D., Goldstein, B., Klaes, M., Leicester, G., Linyard, A., McCurdy, A., Ryan, P., Sharpe, B., Silvestri, G., Abdurrahim, A. Y., Abson, D., Adetunji, O. S., Aldunce, P., Alvarez-Pereira, C., Amparo, J. M., Amundsen, H., Anderson, L., Andersson, L., Asquith, M., Augenstein, K., Barrie, J., Bent, D., Bentz, J., Bergsten, A., Berzonsky, C., Bina, O., Blackstock, K., Boehnert, J., Bradbury, H., Brand, C., Böhme, J., Bøjer, M. M., Carmen, E., Charli-Joseph, L., Choudhury, S., Chunhachoti-ananta, S., Cockburn, J., Colvin, J., Connon, I. L. C., Cornforth, R., Cox, R. S., Cradock-Henry, N., Cramer, L., Cremaschi, A., Dannevig, H., Day, C. T., de Lima Hutchison, C., de Vrieze, A., Desai, V., Dolley, J., Duckett, D., Durrant, R. A., Egermann, M., Elsner (Adams), E., Fremantle, C., Fullwood-Thomas, J., Galafassi, D., Gobby, J., Golland, A., González-Padrón, S. K., Gram-Hanssen, I., Grandin, J., Grenni, S., Lauren Gunnell, J., Gusmao, F., Hamann, M., Harding, B., Harper, G., Hesselgren, M., Hestad, D., Heykoop, C. A., Holmén, J., Holstead, K., Hoolohan, C., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Horlings, L. G., Howden, S. M., Howell, R. A., Huque, S. I., Inturias Canedo, M. L., Iro, C. Y., Ives, C. D., John, B., Joshi, R., Juarez-Bourke, S., Juma, D. W., Karlsen, B. C., Kliem, L., Kläy, A., Kuenkel, P., Kunze, I., Lam, D., Lang, D. J., Larkin, A., Light, A., Luederitz, C., Luthe, T., Maguire, C., Mahecha-Groot, A. M., Malcolm, J., Marshall, F., Maru, Y., McLachlan, C., Mmbando, P., Mohapatra, S., Moore, M. L., Moriggi, A., Morley-Fletcher, M., Moser, S., Mueller, K. M., Mukute, M., Mühlemeier, S., Naess, L. O., Nieto-Romero, M., Novo, P., ÓBrien, K., O'Connell, D. A., O'Donnell, K., Olsson, P., Pearson, K. R., Pereira, L., Petridis, P., Peukert, D., Phear, N., Pisters, S. R., Polsky, M., Pound, D., Preiser, R., Rahman, M. S., Reed, M. S., Revell, P., Rodriguez, I., Rogers, B. C., Rohr, J., Nordbø Rosenberg, M., Ross, H., Russell, S., Ryan, M., Saha, P., Schleicher, K., Schneider, F., Scoville-Simonds, M., Searle, B., Sebhatu, S. P., Sesana, E., Silverman, H., Singh, C., Sterling, E., Stewart, S. J., Tàbara, J. D., Taylor, D., Thornton, P., Tribaldos, T. M., Tschakert, P., Uribe-Calvo, N., Waddell, S., Waddock, S., van der Merwe, L., van Mierlo, B., van Zwanenberg, P., Velarde, S. J., Washbourne, C. L., Waylen, K., Weiser, A., Wight, I., Williams, S., Woods, M., Wolstenholme, R., Wright, N., Wunder, S., Wyllie, A. & Young, H. R., 01.12.2020, In: Energy Research and Social Science. 70, 18 p., 101724.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Transforming European Water Governance? Participation and River Basin Management under the EU Water Framework Directive in 13 Member States

    Jager, N. W., Challies, E., Kochskämper, E., Newig, J., Benson, D., Blackstock, K., Collins, K., Ernst, A., Evers, M., Feichtinger, J., Fritsch, O., Gooch, G., Grund, W., Hedelin, B., Hernández-Mora, N., Frank, H., Huitema, D., Irvine, K., Klinke, A., Lange, L., Loupsans, D., Lubell, M., Maganda, C., Matczak, P., Parés, M., Saarikoski, H., Slavíková, L., van der Arend, S. & von Korff, Y., 19.04.2016, In: Water. 8, 4, 22 p., 156.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Transforming Consumer Behavior: Introducing Self-Inquiry-Based and Self-Experience-Based Learning for Building Personal Competencies for Sustainable Consumption

    Frank, P. & Stanszus, L., 02.05.2019, In: Sustainability. 11, 9, 19 p., 2550.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Transformative research for sustainability: characteristics, tensions, and moving forward

    Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Dorresteijn, I., Leventon, J., Stojanovic, M., Lam, D. P. M., Lang, D. J., Moriggi, A., Raymond, C. M., Stålhammar, S., Weiser, A. & Zimmermann, S., 07.2024, In: Global Sustainability. 7, 16 p., e14.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Transformative pedagogy for sustainable entrepreneurship and technology innovation: The case of EIT climate KIC training

    Klapper, R. G., Upham, P. J. & Oberstrass, T., 07.2024, In: The International Journal of Management Education. 22, 2, 14 p., 100971.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Transformative learning in the field of sustainability: a systematic literature review (1999-2019)

    Rodriguez Aboytes, J. G. & Barth, M., 17.07.2020, In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 21, 5, p. 993-1013 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  8. Published

    Transformative Indikatoren: Zielorientierung und Wirkungsabschätzung in Reallaboren

    Rose, M. & Schleicher, K., 2021, Wege transformativer Forschung: Zielorientierung und Indikatoren: Dokumentation des tF-Symposiums am 7. Oktober 2020. Gemeinhardt, A. & Lehmann, K. (eds.). Darmstadt: Schader-Stiftung, p. 53-63 11 p.

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

  9. Published

    Transformative Impulse: Die Effekte der Rio+20 UN Konferenz für nachhaltige Entwicklung auf Bildung und Forschung

    Mader, C. & Schöffmann, P., 2013, Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung: Jahrbuch 2013. F. U. F. N. E. (ed.). Wien: FORUM Umweltbildung im Umweltdachverband, p. 19-24 6 p.

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

  10. Published

    Transformative education: towards a relational, justice-oriented approach to sustainability

    Walsh, Z., Böhme, J., Lavelle, B. D. & Wamsler, C., 11.12.2020, In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 21, 7, p. 1587-1606 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review