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

    Transdisciplinarity in Corporate Sustainability

    Schaltegger, S. (Editor), Beckmann, M. (Editor) & Hansen, E. G. (Editor), 2013, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 66 p. (Business Strategy and the Environment; vol. 22, no. 4)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesSpecial Journal issueResearch

  2. Published

    Transdisciplinarity in Corporate Sustainability: Mapping the Field

    Schaltegger, S., Beckmann, M. & Hansen, E. G., 05.2013, In: Business Strategy and the Environment. 22, 4, p. 219-229 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Transdisciplinarity in a messy world

    Fischer, J., 02.01.2016, Lüneburg

    Research output: other publicationsArticles in scientific forums or blogsResearch

  4. Published

    Transdisciplinarity: A New Perspective for Partnership in Education? The Case of Sustainable Cultural Change in Educational Organizations

    Fischer, D., 2011, (Re)thinking Partnership in Education. Masson, P., Baumfield, V., Otrel-Cass, K. & Pilo, M. (eds.). Lille: The Book Edition, p. 154–194 40 p.

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

  5. Published

    Transdisciplinarity: Between mainstreaming and marginalization

    Jahn, T., Bergmann, M. & Keil, F., 07.2012, In: Ecological Economics. 79, p. 1-10 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Transdisciplinarity: A productive provocation

    Fischer, D., Schmid, B. & Seidl, I., 20.05.2023, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 32, 1, p. 77 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  7. Published

    Transcultural Science from the Perspective of international Organisations

    Thein, K. N. N. & Urban, B., 2012, Von der Internationalisierung der Hochschule zur Transkulturellen Wissenschaft: Wissenschaftliche Konferenz 2010 an der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. Cremer-Renz, C. & Jansen-Schulz, B. (eds.). Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, p. 283-300 18 p.

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

  8. Published

    Transboundary Cooperation in European Water Governance - A set-theoretic analysis of International River Basins

    Jager, N. W., 01.07.2016, In: Environmental Policy and Governance. 26, 4, p. 278–291 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Transaktionskosten und die Gestaltung ökonomischer Austauschbeziehungen: Zum Nobelpreis an Oliver E. Williamson

    Groth, M., 11.2009, In: Wirtschaftsdienst. 89, 11, p. 770-776 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published